Seasonal Prevalence and Life History of the Sap Beetle Phenolia（Lasiodites）picta（Coleoptera: Nitidulidae）

Abstract

: The sap beetle Phenolia （ Lasiodites ） picta （ MacLeay ）（ Coleoptera: Nitidulidae ） is widely distributed in Asia, Australia, and Africa, but its basic biology has not been studied. In the present study, the seasonal prevalence of P. （ L. ） picta was investigated using banana bait traps in two regions, Minabe and Arida, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, from April to October 2015 and 2016. Adults of P. （ L. ） picta occurred from late April–late October in Minabe, and late April–early September in Arida, respectively. The presence of larvae was observed twice in May–July and August–October in Minabe, but only once in May–July in Arida. These results imply that P. （ L. ） picta is a bivoltine in Minabe. The beetles oviposit in leaf mold, and a successful artificial rearing method was established using banana fruit and leaf mold. The effects of long and short photoperiods （ long photoperiod, 14.5L:9.5D; short photoperiod, 10L:14D ） on the ovarian development of females during ‘ larval and pupal ’ and ‘ adult ’ stages, respectively, were also studied in the laboratory. Females reared with a long photoperiod across all stages had significantly higher percentages of ovarian development （ 77.3% ） than those reared with a short photoperiod during either ‘ larval and pupal ’ stages （ 20.0% ） or ‘ adult ’ stages （ 35.0% ） .