Search

The using of palm oil waste had not been optimal lately. It could be seen in oil empty fruit bunches (EFB). It was placed along the oil palm plantations. The condition was not only the trigger of air pollution but also could invite rhinoceros beetle pests (Oryctes rhinoceros) to lay their eggs and carry out reproductive activities due to availability organic matter of the trees. Oil palm plants required large amounts of macro nutrients, especially potassium. However, the potassium nutrient was found in EFB was too slow available because of its relatively long breakdown. That was the reason why it was needed a method of using EFB waste into a capable of high use value product, environmentally friendly, and could give a lot of benefits to oil palm farmers. The purpose of this study was to determine the availability of nutrient content in EFB composting by the using of symbiont bacteria from larvae O. rhinoceros. The research was experimentally conducted a factorial randomized block design (RBD) with 2 factors, namely the type of bacteria and the time of decomposition. The composting stage was carried out by coarsely chopping the EFB then 75 ml of bacterial culture was applied to 1 kg of EFB. Analysis, results indicated C/N ratio (35.56% and 36.97%) and high K content (1.64% and 1.48%). The EFB composting method is achievable in 6 weeks with activators of Bacillus stratosphericus and Bacillus siamensis.

One alternative to waste processing polystyrene is to use Tenebrio molitor larvae. This study aims to determine the increase in body length and weight, rate of degradation, and value of Waste Reduction Index (WRI) of larvae T. molitor. This study used laboratory experimental using completely randomized design experimental design model (CRD) data analysis with control and 4 feed treatments. Each treatment level was repeated 5 times in order to obtain 25 experimental units. Larvae were reared in a plastic container containing 10 larvae. Each larvae were given bran feed for control and polystrene for treatment, each feed as much as 1 gram. The polystyrene used were food packaging, walls, electronic packaging, and ice boxes. Larvae were measured for length and body weight every 3 days for 30 days. Parameters observed were increase in length and weight of larvae, rate of degradation and WRI values.The highest mean value of increase in larval length on the polystrene wall was 1.69 cm. The lowest value was polystyrene food packaging (1.59 cm). The average weight gain of larvae has a uniform value in the control and treatment of 0.07 gr. The highest degradation rate and WRI values were polystyrene wall and electronic packaging at 0.019 and 0.63%. while the lowest values were polystyrene food packaging at 0.11 and 0.37%.

A new invertebrate-associated fungus, Ophiocordyceps furcatosubulata, is reported from China, Vietnam and Laos. It is characterized by solitary stromata, clavate and slender stipes, cylindrical fertile parts, furcate and subulate sterile apices, immersed perithecia, short asci, filiform ascospores with multi-septa, short secondary ascospores, hirsutella-like asexual morph with polyphialidic conidiogenous cells, broadly ellipsoid or ellipsoid conidia, and on larvae of elaterid beetles buried in soil. Both morphological observation and phylogenetic analyses of combined nrSSU, nrLSU, tef-1α, rpb1 and rpb2 sequence data support that this fungus is a distinctive species in the genus Ophiocordyceps.

Within the framework of hypersaline environments, the Saline di Tarquinia salterns (Latium, Italy) represent an interesting case study from ecological, naturalistic, and conservationist perspectives. We studied macrozoobenthic community zonation related to the main environmental parameters, with particular emphasis on the beetle species Nebrioporus ceresyi (Aubé, 1836), one of the few Dytiscidae among Italian fauna particularly adapted to brackish and hypersaline waters. In this study, we report the structure and seasonal dynamics of the macrozoobenthic community, the spatial and temporal distribution of both larvae and adults of N. ceresyi, and the size–frequency distribution of the larvae. The results add new information on the macrozoobenthic assemblage of the Saline di Tarquinia salterns and the life cycle of this water beetle in the hypersaline habitat. A possible hypothesis about the discontinuous geographical distribution of the species of Dytiscidae investigated is also provided. Finally, N. ceresyi is proposed as an indicator species useful in characterizing the environmental zonation of hypersaline habitats.

The small hive beetle (SHB, Aethina tumida) is an invasive honey bee pest. It has been introduced into many countries worldwide and it will continue to spread. The lifecycle of the SHB is divided between a feeding and reproduction phase inside honey bee colonies and a pupation phase in the soil, surrounding colonies. Once larvae have achieved their ideal weight, they leave the hive in search of suitable soil in which to pupate. Trapping larvae when they leave the hive could reduce the reproductive success of SHBs, as this would break their lifecycle. Therefore, we investigated the larvae containment rate of different trap designs. Dry and wet larvae were released into traps and left to wander for 12 h, after which we counted the larvae remaining in the trap. Similarly, we tested the permeability of different mesh sizes for dry and wet larvae. Finally, we investigated the speed dry larvae are capable of crawling, by recording the time it took them to crawl a known distance. Dry larvae were contained by all traps. While most designs were unable to contain wet larvae, a trap with walls of sandpaper was able to contain all larvae successfully. Larvae could not pass through a mesh size of 1 mm in dry or wet conditions. The mean wandering larvae speed observed was 0.42 cm/sc. We recommend the use of traps for wandering SHB larvae as a mitigative measure for new introductions and a control method for established populations.

In the present study we used larval amphibians (Rhinella jimi) as prey, and beetle larvae (Hydrophilus sp.) as predator to assess if increased water temperature influences predator-prey dynamics. T...

Larval insects use many methods for locomotion. Here we describe a previously unknown jumping behavior in a group of beetle larvae (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae). We analyze and describe this behavior inLaemophloeus biguttatusand provide information on similar observations for another laemophloeid species,Placonotus testaceus.Laemophloeus biguttatuslarvae prelude jumps by arching their body while gripping the substrate with their legs over a period of 0.22 ± 0.17s. This is followed by a rapid ventral curling of the body after the larvae releases its grip that launches them into the air. Larvae reached takeoff velocities of 0.47 ± 0.15 m s-1 and traveled 11.2 ± 2.8 mm (1.98 ± 0.8 body lengths) horizontally and 7.9 ± 4.3 mm (1.5 ± 0.9 body lengths) vertically during their jumps. Conservative estimates of power output revealed that not all jumps can be explained by direct muscle power alone, suggestingLaemophloeus biguttatususes a latch-mediated spring actuation mechanism (LaMSA) in which interaction between the larvae’s legs and the substrate serves as the latch. MicroCT scans and SEM imaging of larvae did not reveal any notable modifications that would aid in jumping. Although more in-depth experiments could not be performed to test hypotheses on the function of these jumps, we posit that this behavior is used for rapid locomotion which is energetically more efficient than crawling the same distance to disperse from their ephemeral habitat. We also summarize and discuss jumping behaviors among insect larvae for additional context of this behavior in laemophloeid beetles.

Many organisms live in the soil but only a little is known about their ecology especially movement style. Scarab beetle larvae do not have appendages to shovel soil and their trunk is thick compared to their body length. Hence, their movement through the soil is perplexing. Here, we established the observation and analysis system of larval movement and found that the last larval instars of Trypoxylus dichotomus burrow in two different ways, depending on the hardness of the soil. If the soil is soft, the larvae keep their body in a straight line and use longitudinal expansion and contraction; if the soil is hard, they flex and rotate their body. It is thought that the larvae adapt to diverse soil conditions using two different excavation methods. These results are important for understanding the soil ecology and pose a challenge to engineer of newer excavation technology.

Most studies focus on damage caused by beetle larvae to various crops; however, little is known about the association of adults with wild and ornamental species, their food preferences, and plant-beetle relationships. Therefore, the objective of this work was to report new host plants and floral associations for four species of Cetoniinae and Rutelinae beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and to provide a checklist of Scarabaeidae from San Andres Huayapam, Oaxaca, Mexico. The checklist had 15 species grouped into 12 genera, nine tribes, and four subfamilies. Twelve species had new locality records, of which one was the first accurate distribution record for the State of Oaxaca.

The family Scoliidae is a group of wasps that are parasitoids of scarab beetle larvae and are important biological controllers. In Chile this group is underrepresented and has no clear distribution. The aim of this short communication is to report new records and update the current distribution of the scoliid wasp Campsomeris servillei (Guérin-Méneville). We also discuss probable distribution scenarios for northern Chile as well as some aspects of the biology and ecology of these wasps.

Larvae of Brachypsectridae (Texas beetles) have often been considered rare. However, they are known from North America, Asia and Australia in the extant fauna, and from Miocene, Eocene and Cretaceous ambers. We review the overall record of extant and fossil larvae of Brachypsectridae represented in the literature. Furthermore, we present three new specimens, which were all documented via light microscopy. Two of the specimens are from Baltic amber, and the third one is from the Cretaceous amber of Myanmar; the latter was additionally documented via synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography. The number of known extant specimens, more than 20, is unusually high compared to other small groups of beetles and with respect to the low number of eight formally described species. The number of fossil specimens from the Miocene, Eocene and Cretaceous is low, two to three specimens per time slice. This makes a comparison of morphological diversity difficult. Still such an analysis of overall body shape as well as of the anterior body region revealed no significant quantitatively recognisable changes over time. However, some qualitative changes in the morphology of the antenna and lateral processes from the Cretaceous to younger faunas could be identified.

Background Mealworm beetle T. molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) (Linnaeus, 1758) is one of the most important cosmopolitan primary storage pests, scavenging on a variety of post-harvest grains and affecting the quality and safety of food and feed. In addition to being an important factor in feed hygiene, the insect can also be an epidemiological factor of canthariasis. Livestock infestations with T. molitor are rarely reported. This article describes T. molitor-caused canthariasis in pigs in large scale closed-cycle farming. Results In the spring, we registered a significantly increased mortality among weaned pigs. In autopsy, live 3–6 mm long T. molitor larvae were found in their stomachs, especially in the non-glandular oesophageal region, on average 2–3 larvae per 10 cm2 of gastric mucosa. Corrective actions reduced the number of deaths back to basal levels. Conclusions This is the first documented case of potentially lethal gastric canthariasis in weaned pigs, caused by invasion of T. molitor larvae. Although canthariasis caused by T. molitor has not been a significant problem in farm animals so far, our case indicates that the presence of mealworm beetles is a potential threat to animal welfare and health.

Induced plant responses to herbivory are common, and we have learned a lot about the mechanisms of induced resistance and their effects on herbivore performance. We know less about their effects on herbivore behaviour and especially on spatial patterns of damage. Theoretical models predict that induced responses can cause patterns of damage to become aggregated, random or even. A recent model predicted that informed herbivore movement coupled with communication between plants would make damage more even within individual plants. We tested these predictions in the field using a specialist beetle Trirhabda pilosa that feeds on sagebrush Artemisia tridentata. Both the beetle and the plant are well-documented to respond to damage-induced volatile cues. Beetle larvae were more likely to move from damaged leaves and leaves that had been exposed to volatiles from nearby damaged leaves compared to undamaged control leaves. Previous laboratory results indicated that beetles were more likely to choose undamaged leaves compared to damaged leaves or those exposed to volatile cues of damage. A comparison of damage patterns early in the season and after completion of beetle feeding revealed that variance in damage among branches decreased as the season progressed; that is, damage became more evenly distributed among the branches within a plant. Larvae damaged many leaves on a plant but removed relatively little tissue from each leaf. Herbivore movement and the spatial patterns of damage that it creates can be important in determining effects on plant fitness and other population processes. Dispersion of damage deserves more consideration in plant-herbivore studies.

Plants respond to damage by herbivores or to reliable cues of damage by changing in ways that provide greater resistance and increase their fitness. Sagebrush has been a model system for understanding induced resistance, although resistance in this system is commonly assessed by quantifying damage at the end of the season; this measure is slow and lacks accuracy and interpretability because so many other factors also affect levels of damage. Herbivore choice offers a potentially rapid and accurate alternative assay of induced resistance. Here we evaluate whether feeding behavior of a specialized Chrysomelid beetle, Trirhabda pilosa, could be used to assay induced changes in plant quality. Beetle larvae were offered the choice between two leaves in Petri dish arenas. We found that beetles avoided leaves that were naturally damaged by herbivores, experimentally clipped with scissors, and exposed to the volatiles from naturally or experimentally damaged neighboring leaves compared to control leaves. Experiments varied the source of the damage, the duration of the feeding test, and how damage was measured, still, beetles consistently preferred uninduced controls by a 2:1 ratio over leaves exposed to cues of damage. These results suggest that behavioral assays using T. pilosa larvae can be used to rapidly evaluate induced resistance in this system. More generally, movement and feeding behaviors of herbivores are an important and underappreciated component of induced plant responses.

This study represents the first description and analysis of insect borings on hadrosaur bones (Dinosauria: Hadrosauridae) from the Late Campanian Cerro del Pueblo Formation (CdP) of the State of Coahuila, Mexico. Here we describe seven different trace patterns that include a new Cubiculum ichnospecies and possible termite damage. The insect bone borings include holes, notches, chambers, furrows, tunnels and rosettes. Transitional structures can also be observed in the hadrosaur bones. Comparisons of these trace morphologies with extant necrophagous insect groups suggest that the CdP borings were likely the result of dermestid beetle larvae and possible termite osteophagy on a dry hadrosaur corpse prior to burial.

Longitudinally aligned borings attributed to the ichnotaxon Dekosichnus meniscatus in the inner secondary wood of a silicified Middle–Late Jurassic conifer from Argentina contain finely granular frass particles arranged in meniscoid laminae. Synchrotron X-ray computed tomographic reconstruction of the borings reveals new characters of this ichnotaxon, such as opposing orientations of menisci in some adjacent borings, regular spacing of minor and major meniscoid laminae, a scarcity of tunnel branching, and rare occurrences of cylindrical–spherical terminal chambers on excavations. Architectural and distributional features of the galleries suggest excavation by cerambycid beetle larvae, thus representing one of the earliest potential fossil records of this group. The borings are confined to the inner wood of a young tree that experienced a moderately seasonal climate in a volcanically influenced landscape. By detecting subtle heterogeneities in composition, this study demonstrates that high-energy synchrotron X-ray tomography can characterize anatomical features and complex ecological interactions within even densely permineralized (silicified) plant fossils.

Sclerodermus Latreille, 1809 (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), are parasitoids of wood-boring beetle larvae that can co-infest furniture and homes attacked by such larvae. This can result in the human inhabitants receiving stings from adult female wasps as they wander in search of new hosts. Herein, I report the first infestation of Sclerodermus macrogaster (Ashmead, 1887) of a home in North America and provide a review of Sclerodermus biology and clinical signs relevant to their pestiferous nature.

It has been reported that Styrofoam can be biodegraded by Tenebrio molitor beetle larvae within a retention time of less than 24 h and the larvae fed solely with Styrofoam able to survive for more than a month. The question is whether Styrofoam can be used as an economical feed in the cultivation of mealworms? To determine productivity effect of Styrofoam feeds on mealworms, the larvae (n = 120) were grouped into three. Group 1, 2 and 3 were cosecutively fed with yeasts (as the standard diet), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) were used. The observations take place in two stages. At stage 1, measurements were made on percent survival of the caterpillar, larval weight, prepupal periods, pupation periods, pupal weight and imago weight. At stage 2, the imago emerged from the pupae were separated between males and females and then mated. The number of eggs laid by the imago females in ten days are noted. The results showed, in comparison to the standard diet, EPS and XPS foam feeds did not give a significant effect on the mortality of the larvae. Both types of Styrofoam promote a significant longer periods of prepupal and pupation and significantly reduce number of eggs. Compared with yeasts and EPS foam, only XPS showed a lower weight of larvae, pupae and imago. It is inferred that the Styrofoam is not worthy as economical feeds in mealworms cultivation. However, given that Styrofoam feeds can maintain the insects life and produce eggs, the use of mealworms in polystyrene foam waste degradation is still worth considering.

SUMMARYPlant leaves that are exposed to herbivore induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) respond by increasing their defenses. Whether this phenomenon also occurs in the roots is unknown.Using maize (Zea mays), whose leaves respond strongly to leaf HIPVs, we measured the impact of root HIPVs, emanating from plants infested by the banded cucumber beetle (Diabrotica balteata), on constitutive and herbivore-induced levels of root soluble sugars, starch, total soluble proteins, free amino acids, volatile and non-volatile secondary metabolites, defense gene expression, growth and root herbivore resistance of neighboring plants.HIPV exposure did not alter constitutive or induced levels of any of the measured root traits. Furthermore, HIPV exposure did not reduce the performance and survival of banded cucumber beetle larvae on maize or teosinte. Cross-exposure experiments revealed that maize roots, in contrast to maize leaves, neither emit nor respond strongly to defense-regulating HIPVs.Together, these results demonstrate that volatile-mediated defense regulation is restricted to the leaves of maize and teosinte, a finding which is in line with the lower diffusibility of volatiles in the soil and the availability of other, potentially more efficient information conduits below ground.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:17:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-01-01 Predispersal seed predation is one of the main causes of seed mortality in plant populations, contributing to decreased plant recruitment. Seed loss has previously been found to be related to crop size. Thus, we examined the influence of individual crop size on predispersal seed predation by beetles in the palm Syagrus flexuosa in the Brazilian savanna. The study was carried out in three tropical woodland savanna sites, where we sampled the total seed crop of 46 fruiting palms and checked the presence of beetle larvae inside all seeds per plant. We observed predispersal seed predation of S. flexuosa from all sites and a high variation in the number of seeds preyed on per individual palm. Crop size had a positive influence on the number of seeds lost to predispersal seed predators. Variations in levels of predispersal seed predation may also be accounted for by the reproductive phenology of S. flexuosa. If fruits are not available at the same time, less resource is available for predators and therefore a high proportion of seeds may be preyed on. Thus, our study demonstrates that an individual plant trait, crop size, is an important predictor of beetle seed damage per palm and a driver of the number of seeds lost to predispersal seed predators. Departamento de Ecologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade de Brasília, Distrito Federal Departamento de Ciências Ambientais Universidade Federal de São Carlos Campus Sorocaba Universidade Católica de Brasília Programa de Educação Ambiental Ͽ PEA Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia

The aquatic larvae of the family Elmidae (Coleoptera) have been considered unable to swim because they lack swimming setae on their body and legs. We discovered that riffle beetle larvae (Leptelmis gracilis Sharp) are in fact able to swim. After opening the tuft‐like gills on the last abdominal segment they swim by repeatedly bending the abdomen into a U‐shape very quickly and in a wavy manner, while their head and thorax move anteriorly, resulting in a sigmoidal body shape. The flat bodies of L. gracilis larvae could be advantageous for swimming compared to the cylindrical or semicylindrical bodies of larvae in related genera.

El tratamiento de aguas residuales, permite reducir los contaminantes que adquiere el agua al ser utilizada en diferentes procesos domésticos e industriales. Dentro de algunos de sus procesos se obtienen lodos conocidos como biosólidos. El constante aumento en la población mundial desencadena a su vez un incremento en la producción de estos biosólidos, generando la necesidad de encontrar opciones de disposición apropiadas, ya que, si éste subproducto es dispuesto directamente en el suelo sin tratamiento previo, puede arrastrar patógenos ocasionando altos niveles de riesgo. El compostaje es una alternativa en el tratamiento de biosólidos puesto que le permite la controlar parámetros fisicoquímicos y microbiológicos, así mismo la adición de larvas de escarabajo coadyuva a la disminución de microorganismos. El seguimiento al comportamiento de las variables en el proceso, facilita la determinación de las condiciones óptimas para la obtención de un material que pueda ser clasificado según la normativa nacional e internacional. The treatment of wastewater, allows to reduce the contaminants that the water acquires when being used in different domestic and industrial processes. Within some of its processes, sludges are obtained, which, due to their characteristics, represent a risk to the human and biotic health of the environment, since they contain a large number of pathogenic microorganisms. The constant increase in the world population in turn generates an increase in the production of biosolids, which implies finding suitable alternatives for their final disposal, since, if this by-product is disposed directly in the soil without prior treatment, it can transport pathogens by Runoff effects causing high levels of risk. Composting is an alternative in the treatment of biosolids since it allows the stabilization of physicochemical and microbiological parameters, as well as the addition of beetle larvae to the reduction of microorganisms present in the by-product. The monitoring of the behavior of the parameters in the composting and biotransformation stages, allows to determine the optimal conditions for the process, obtaining a material that can be classified according to the minimum ranges established by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States of America and the Ministry of Housing, City and Territory of Colombia, providing the possibility of properly disposing of said waste. Magíster en Ingeniería Civil con Énfasis en Hidroambiental Maestría

Larvae, and especially fossil larvae, are challenging to deal with from a purely taxonomic view. Often one cannot determine which species the larvae belong to. Yet, larvae can still contribute to various scientific questions. Especially morphological traits of a fossil larva can be highly informative for reconstructing character evolution. Also the occurrence of specific larval types and larval characters in time and the disappearance of such forms can well be reconstructed also without being able to narrow down the phylogenetic relationship of a larva very far. Here, we report two new beetle larvae preserved in Baltic amber which are identified as representatives of Scraptiidae, based on an enlarged terminal end (‘9th abdomen segment’); this is only the third record of such larvae. In comparison to modern forms, the terminal ends of the two new fossil larvae is even larger in relation to the remaining body than in any known larva. Unfortunately, our knowledge of such larvae in the modern fauna is very limited. Still, one of the two already known fossil larvae of Scraptiidae also has a very long terminal end, but not as long as those of the two new fossils. These three fossil larvae therefore seem to possess a specific morphology not known from the modern fauna. This might either mean that they (1) represent a now extinct larval morphology, a phenomenon well known in other euarthropodan lineages, or that (2) these forms represent a part of the larval phase not known from modern day species as they have not been described yet; such cases occur in closely related lineages. In any case, the fossils expand the known diversity of larval morphologies.

Micromolar concentrations of hyperactive antifreeze proteins (AFPs) from insects can prevent aqueous solutions from freezing down to at least &minus, 6 &deg, C. To explore cryopreservation of cells, tissues and organs at these temperatures without ice formation, we have developed a protocol to reliably produce ultrapure Tenebrio molitor AFP from cold-acclimated beetle larvae reared in the laboratory. The AFP was prepared from crude larval homogenates through five cycles of rotary ice-affinity purification, which can be completed in one day. Recovery of the AFP at each step was &gt, 90% and no impurities were detected in the final product. The AFP is a mixture of isoforms that are more active in combination than any one single component. Toxicity testing of the purified AFP in cell culture showed no inhibition of cell growth. The production process can easily be scaled up to industrial levels, and the AFP used in cryobiology applications was recovered for reuse in good yield and with full activity.

This research enabled the relationship between length and dry body mass to be determined for 158 beetle larvae taken from cow dung in north-eastern Poland. The larvae were divided into three morphological types, for which the power and linear function of the body length-weight relationship were determined. The linear regression equation characterizes the relationship between body weight and length for all morphological types of larvae very well (0.8955≤R2≤0.9752). The power regression equation characterizes this relationship for all morphological types of larvae well (0.8562≤R2≤0.9742).The equations obtained can be used to compute dry mass for most beetle larvae inhabiting dung.

Science-based board games can help people grasp the ecological complexity of autonomous pest control (APC) in the shade-coffee agroecosystem. Azteca Chess is a board-game that captures in a stylized way the fascinating natural history and the dynamics of a complex network of direct, indirect and cascading trait-mediated interactions among five species of arthropods dwelling in shade coffee bushes (a coffee-scale, an ant, an adult and larval lady beetle, a parasitoid wasp and a parasitoid fly). In exchange for honey-dew, the Azteca ant protects scale-insects that help control the devastating coffee-rust disease. The ant repels the adult ladybeetle but inadvertently protects its larvae, which devour scales to local extinction. The head-hunting fly paralyzes Azteca and opens a window of opportunity for the adult beetle to oviposit under scales, but also for a parasitoid wasp to kill the beetle larvae. Interactions can cascade or not towards APC. Experimental test-driving shows Azteca Chess meets good modeling and game-design standards and is proved statistically to enhance understanding and application of relevant complex ecological processes.

This study aimed to characterize the vertical distribution of longhorned beetle larvae in burned trees of the eastern Canadian boreal forest. Black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) trees burned at three severity levels were cut, and 30 cm boles were collected from the ground up to a height of 9.45 m. Boles were debarked and dissected to collect insect larvae. Results show that the three most abundant longhorned beetle species were vertically segregated among burned jack pine and black spruce trees, but the section having the highest timber value was heavily infested by woodborer larvae. Larval density distribution of Monochamus scutellatus scutellatus (Say) and of Acmaeops proteus proteus (Kirby) could be linked with bark thickness, which also depends on fire severity. Lightly burned stands of black spruce were the most heavily infested and should be salvaged only if they are easily accessible and can thus be rapidly harvested and processed at the mill. More severely burned stands should be salvaged later as they will be less affected by woodborers, as should jack pine, which is lightly infested compared with black spruce. The ecological role of stumps should be further investigated because they could still have an ecological value after salvage logging as Arhopalus foveicollis (Haldeman) uses them specifically.

The larva of Lepicerus inaequalis Motschulsky was described by Lawrence et al. (2013) based on several early instars and one late instar collected among wet leaves and debris near Gamboa, Panama. The identification was based on collection of an adult Lepicerus in a similar habitat nearby and a combination of characters found in other myxophagan immatures but not known in other beetle larvae. We accepted this identification with some reservations, but a misinterpretation of one feature in the original description plus an unexpected new source of evidence makes it likely that our identification was incorrect. The one misinterpreted feature in this larva was the retraction of the ventral mouthparts. Reexamining the larvae, it was found that a pair of tendons extending mesally from the hypostomal rods were misinterpreted as maxillary bases. The mouthparts are definitely protracted, which is expected with long hypostomal rods. The new source of evidence is somewhat complicated, as explained below.

Ensuring nutritious food for the ever-growing world population is one of the foremost challenges. As pressure on land and water is mounting, these resources are getting depleted in alarming manner. So, energy and resource-efficient ways of food productions are being searched for. In this regard, insects, the members of phylum Arthropoda, appear very promising as their life cycle is short while turnover rate and biomass conversion rate are high. Entomophagy, the practice of ingesting insects, is an ancient way of feeding but it has mostly been confined to poorer economic strata. Not all, but certain insects such as bees, termites, ants, caterpillars, water bugs, flies, beetle larvae, crickets, grasshoppers, katydids, cicadas, and dragonfly are rich in proteins, fat, and minerals, are nontoxic, and are free of offensive aftertaste. These insect members are candidates for staple human foods. However, food neophobia and the lack of safety assurance are barriers that need to be surmounted before insects become a popular food item. Adequate research and public perception change regarding entomophagy can eradicate food insecurity, while causing a low ecological footprint. This chapter reviews the available literature on edible insects, presents the latest developments in this field, discusses their scope to food security, and proposes the pros and cons of this emerging food trend.

The susceptibility of rhinoceros beetle larvae, Oryctes agamemnon, to different concentrations of Syzygium aromaticum cloves was studied under laboratory conditions. Two forms of cloves were applied, first as finely powdered flower buds and later as an essential oil. The clove powder concentrations used against the larvae were 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 %, and the clove essential oil (CEO) was used at concentrations of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 %. The highest (68.5 %) and lowest (2 %) larval mortality were caused by 9 % and 1 % clove flower bud powder (CFBP), respectively. However, the CEO was more effective against the larvae of O. agamemnon than the powder. Mortalities ranged from 12.5 to 87.9 % at oil concentrations of 1 and 5 %, respectively. The results also showed that the two forms of cloves persist in the treated soil for 7 to 8 days. Additionally, the clove oil and powder have a residual effect in treated soil that provides sustainable protection for date palms against root borers. Accordingly, it was concluded tha...

On the basis of fungi isolation from the Colorado beetle larvae three species of Botrytis have been isolated: Botrytis sp., B. bassiana Bals., B. fusca Sacc. and others.

The biotransformation of organic compounds using the larvae of the Japanese rhinoceros beetle (Allomyrina dichotoma) as a biocatalyst is described. When phenyl alkanediones were administered by mouth (p.o) or subcutaneous injection (s.c) to the beetle, asymmetric reduction occurred to yield the corresponding diols in varying optical yields: 1-phenyl-1,2-propandione or 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione reduced to (1R,2S)- and (1S,2S)-1,2-phenylpropanediols in high optical yields or (1R,3S)- and (1R,3R)-1-phenyl-1,3-butanediols in low to high optical yields, respectively. By administrating 1-phenyl-1-propanone, 1-phenyl-1-butanone or 4-phenyl-2-butanone, redox reactions occurred to give 1-phenyl-1,2-propanediols or 1-phenyl-1,3-butanediols in lower optical yields. The administrations of β-ionone and cinnamyl chloride resulted in regioselective allylic oxidations producing enone and cinnamic acid, respectively. However, when (R)-(-)-carvone was administered, regiospecific dihydroxylation at the isopropenyl group occurred to give (4R,8R)- and (4R,8S)-8,9-dihydroxy-8,9-dihydrocarvone as diastereoisomers. These results appear to demonstrate similar reaction tendency with the case of a microorganism. It is possible that these reactions were due in part to bacteria in the intestine of the larva: however, regio- and stereoselectivities of the reactions were sometimes unique. Thus, it is supposed that these biotransformations were accomplished by the ensemble of the larva׳s own enzymes with several bacteria. The results obtained in this study might show the possibility of using such enzymes derived from insects, including beetle larvae, as a biocatalyst.

Processing potatoes with water extract from the amaranth of Early splendor variety leads to an increase in the parameter (FM – FT)/FT of slow induction of leaf fluorescence up to 51%. At the same time, the effectiveness of restricting the nutrition of larvae of the Colorado potato beetle on the treated plants reaches a maximum of 64%. Laboratory experiments show a decrease in larval survival on treated plants. Due to its dual properties as a biostimulant and insecticide, as well as low toxicity to vertebrates, amaranth extracts can be recommended for integrated pest management programs.

One of the biggest challenges that predators, such as the larvae of the diving beetle Thermonectus marmoratus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), are faced with is to accurately assess the distance of their prey. Most animals derive distance information from disparities of images that are viewed from different angles, from information that is obtained from well-controlled translational movements (motion parallax) or from the image size of known objects. Using a behavioral assay we demonstrated that T. marmoratus larvae continue to accurately strike at artificial prey, even if none of these typical distance estimation cues are available to them. Specifically, we excluded bilateral binocular stereopsis by occlusion, confounded possible motion parallax cues with an artificially moving prey, and excluded the possibility that beetle larvae simply approached their targets based on known prey size by presenting different prey sizes. Despite these constraints, larvae consistently struck our artificial targets from a distance of ~4.5 mm. Based on these findings we conclude that T. marmoratus likely employ an unusual mechanism to accurately determine prey distances, possibly mediated by the object–distance-dependent activation of specific subsets of their many-tiered and peculiarly positioned photoreceptors.

The developmental times of mealworm beetle larvae, Tenebrio molitor were studied at six temperatures ranging from 15 to with 60~70% RH, and a photoperiod of 14L:10D. Mortality of larval period was very low at 17 and but did not die over . Developmental time of larva was decreased with increasing temperature. The total developmental time of T. molitor larvae was longest at (244.3 days) and shortest at (110.8 days). Egg and larvae were not developed at . The lower developmental threshold and effective accumulative temperatures for the total larval stages were and 2564.1 degree-days, respectively. The relationship between developmental rate and temperature was fitted by a linear model and nonlinear model of Logan-6(

Parasitoids can encounter patches of hosts of varying sizes. Trade-offs may result in different developmental strategies and fitness characteristics in parasitoids. To explore developmental strategies and host suitability of a bethylid parasitoid, Sclerodermus pupariae, in relation to the size of oak long-horned beetle larvae, Massicus raddei, effects of host size on parasitoid fitness parameters were tested under laboratory conditions. Maternal parasitoids obtained lower rates of parasitism when inoculating small or large hosts due to early host death and parasitoid injury, respectively, indicating significant fitness costs associated with paralysing those host sizes. Host size was shown to have highly variable effects on selected fitness parameters. For maternal females, increasing initial host size led to increasing host handling time, and fertility exhibited a parabolic relationship with host size. The highest fertility was exhibited when parasitoids oviposited on medium-sized hosts. Host size effects were very apparent for parasitoid offspring, with the largest hosts producing later-emerging but larger females. Parasitoid offspring sex ratios in all host size classes were significantly female-biased, and exhibited a quadratic function with increasing host size. Assessment of host profitability revealed that medium-sized hosts presented the best fitness return for the parasitoids. The findings suggest that this bethylid parasitoid can achieve a compromise in optimisation of the two most important fitness functions when encountering an abundance of different-sized hosts.

The genus Doryctinus Roman is recorded for the first time in the fauna of the Old World and African continent. A new species D. africanus sp. nov. from Congo reared from the beetle larvae of the families Lyctidae and Scolytidae is described and illustrated. The discussion about composition of this genus and its synonyms is presented. A key to the World Doryctinus species is provided.

New approaches for wood protection based on green technologies have increased interest in using heartwood portions of certain wood species for the effects (toxic and antioxidant properties, chelate formation, hydrophobicity) of extractives located in heartwood. This study evaluated the biological performance of heartwood of Liquidambar orientalis Mill., trees well-known for production of balsam. Heartwood specimens were subjected to soil-block decay tests based on the American Wood Protection Association standard method using two brown-rot and two white-rot fungi. Specimens were also subjected to two different laboratory termite resistance tests. Additionally, heartwood specimens were tested for mold growth and resistance to furniture beetle larvae. Laboratory fungal decay resistance tests showed that the heartwood of the tree was not resistant against the fungi tested; however, the wood was resistant against termites and furniture beetle larvae in laboratory conditions. Mold tests revealed that the wood also showed resistance to mold growth. Complete biological resistance was not achieved in this study, suggesting that heartwood extractives do not directly correspond to resistance to wood-degrading fungi.