Light traps were run at six sites for up to 5 years to determine the seasonal flight activity of 14 scarab beetles associated with sugarcane in the Bundaberg, Queensland, district. Four patterns of seasonal activity were detected: brief spring activity by Antitrogus consanguineus and Lepidiota noxia; brief summer activity by Antitrogus parvulus, Lepidiota crinita, Lepidiota frenchi and Lepidiota negatoria; prolonged summer activity by Anoplognathus boisduvalii, Anoplognathus pallidicollis, Anoplognathus porosus, Dasygnathus trituberculatus, Repsimus aeneus and Xylotrupes gideon; and prolonged spring– autumn activity by Metanastes vulgivagus and Neodon pecuarius. The different flight patterns reflect different life cycle strategies to cope with environmental adversity. Females of Antitrogus spp. and L. crinita were rarely caught in traps, while in Anop. boisduvalii, Anop. pallidicollis, Anop. porosus, D. trituberculatus and X. gideon females outnumbered males. Differences between years in numbers of some species with 2‐year life cycles point to large differences in sizes of the two allochronic populations of these species. Differences in species composition between sites reflect differences in soil type.

Ovipositing Childers beetles, Antitrogusparvulus Britton, exhibit preference for soils of certain moisture levels. In a choice trial, A . parvulus laid most eggs in soil at approximately -74 kPa (near field capacity), no or very few eggs in soil near wilting point or drier, and few eggs in soil above field capacity (approximately -5.7 kPa). Under no-choice conditions most females retained their eggs if soil was near wilting point, oviposited immediately in soil near field capacity, and tended to extend egg-laying in soil above field capacity. Females in very wet soil laid many eggs when soil was changed to near field capacity within 3 d. After 3 d there was very little egglaying response to a change to soil near field capacity.

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European earwigs Forficula auricularia L are important predators of diaspidid scale insects in New Zealand kiwifruit As European earwigs readily hide during the day in shelter traps made of corrugated cardboard strips rolled into cylinders it may be possible to manipulate the level of scale predation The effect of trapping duration on aggregation of earwigs and whether the addition of shelter traps to kiwifruit vine canopies led to increased numbers of earwigs and predation of scale insects were investigated More earwigs were found in cardboard shelter traps exposed for up to 8 weeks than shorter periods However shelter traps were not associated with increased numbers of earwigs in vine canopies or with increased predation of scale insects Predation of scale insects was 7382 and on individual canes depended on the initial density of scale Further study is needed to realise the potential of earwigs as predators of scale insects and other pests