Life history traits and life table analysis of Lobiopa insularis (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) fed on strawberry

Abstract

Lobiopa insularis is a newly reported pest of strawberry in Argentina. We investigated characteristics of its biology in the laboratory, including survivorship and reproduction. We also estimated population growth for L. insularis fed ripe strawberry fruits. Lobiopa insularis was not observed ovipositing on strawberry fruits. A higher proportion of egg masses were recorded from a depth of 1 cm within the soil than on either the soil surface or deeper than 1cm (i.e. between 1and 2 cm) within the soil. The duration of preimaginal developmental stages represented ~18.5% of the total life cycle, while the adult stage represented 81.5%. Survival from egg to adult was 64.20% and mean longevity of females and males adults was 121.84, (SE = 8.86) and 118.58 (SE = 5.90) days, respectively. Females laid eggs only when they were with a male, so reproductive period was dependent on male presence. The number of eggs/female/day was 18.01 (SE = 1.71); and total fecundity was 1655 (ES = 249.53) eggs/female. The long life span of adults and high reproductive output, i.e high fecundity and long reproductive period, indicate that availability and concentration of suitable developmental resources are important factors in the population dynamics of Lobiopa insularis associated with strawberry crops.

Mating behavior and sexual dimorphism of the Lobiopa insularis (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) strawberry pest

“…In the present study, it was also noted that the females only laid their eggs when the males were present. This reproductive behavior was also recorded by Greco et al (2017) for L. insularis, meaning it could be another mechanism for paternity protection. Therefore, other researches are necessary to verify if the presence of more males can interfere in the reproductive behavior of courtship, mating, and oviposition since only couples were evaluated in the present study.…”

“…Cyanococcus A.Gray), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch], fig (Ficus carica L.), pineapple [Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. ], and, especially, strawberry [Fragaria × ananassa (Weston) Duchesne ex Rozier] (Guimarães et al, 2009;Greco et al, 2017).…”

“…In the country, an outbreak of L. insularis larvae and adults caused injuries in strawberry fruits produced for in natura consumption and commercialization, representing a damage of 14.3% per insect/fruit and 70% on total production (Bernardi et al, 2015;Dorzenoni et al, 2019;Souza et al, 2019). In this scenario, strategies to monitor and control this pest have been implemented based on the life cycle of the species and on pesticide use (Guimarães et al, 2009;Bernardi et al, 2015;Greco et al, 2017). However, despite the economic importance of L. insularis, its morphology still needs to be further detailed and its sexual behavior described.…”

Arthropod Pest Management in Strawberry

“…When presented with green, semi-ripe, and ripe strawberry, L. insularis clearly show preference for semi-ripe and ripe fruits [ 63 ]. The sap beetle L. insularis is a polyphagous species that is associated with significant economic losses (20–70%) due to strawberry fruit damage in the USA, Brazil, and Argentina [ 60 , 64 , 65 , 66 ]. In addition to causing direct feeding damage by burrowing into the semi-ripe and ripe strawberry, these sap beetles facilitate secondary pest infestations of fruit flies, Drosophila spp.…”

Heterorhabditis bacteriophora pampean-strain VEli (Nematoda): identification and pathogenicity against the strawberry pest Lobiopa insularis (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)

“…Females oviposit in the ground, and the larvae pupate within the first 10 cm (Cluigt et al 2007). The long life span of adults (up to seven months) and high reproductive output, indicate the presence of several overlapping generations (Bortoli et al 2014;Greco et al 2017).…”