Phoracantha semipunctata (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a Serious Pest of Eucalyptus in California: Biology and Laboratory-Rearing Procedures

Abstract

Procedures are described for establishing a laboratory colony of the eucalyptus longhorned borer, Phoracantha semipunctata F., and rearing the adult beetles on a continual basis. Adult beetles reared from naturally infested Eucalyptus logs were caged and provided with oviposition substrates (folded sheets of plastic). Techniques for handling and caring for eggs and neonate larvae are discussed. Larvae were individually transferred into shallow incisions in the bark of fresh logs. Total survivorship from neonate larvae to adult was =35%. Our procedures yielded an average of 63 adult progeny for every adult female, with a generation time of =2 mo during the summer. Beetle colonies were protected from pyemotid mites by dusting rearing logs with sulfur and from ants with granular diazinon. An experiment on adult beetle diet showed that the provision of sucrose water greatly increased longevity and fecundity over a distilled water control, but increasing the concentration of sucrose >5% did not significantly improve beetle performance.

Outbreak of Phoracantha semipunctata in Response to Severe Drought in a Mediterranean Eucalyptus Forest

“…observations). Although the behavior of P. semipunctata is well known where it has been introduced outside of Australia [15,16,25], little research has been conducted on its population biology and host damage in native ecosystems. Furthermore, given the close association of P. semipunctata with tree water stress, and the magnitude of climate changes projected for the Australian continent, research on this species is particularly important.…”

Do acoustic cues mediate host finding by Syngaster lepidus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)?

“…After drying for ten days, the cut ends of the logs were dipped in melted Parowax paraffin wax, to seal the log and maintain residual log moisture. Phoracantha recurva adults were obtained from a colony maintained continuously in the laboratory since 1996, using methods developed for the congeneric species P. semipunctata (Hanks et al 1993). Groups of adults (five female and three male) were placed in screen wire cages lined at the bottom with layers of waxed paper as an oviposition substrate.…”

“…Phoracantha semipunctata was first detected infesting Eucalyptus trees in southern California around 1984 (Scriven et al 1986), and P. recurva was first identified from the same part of the state in 1995 (Hanks et al 1997). The adult beetles are attracted to stressed or fallen trees, where mating and oviposition occur (Hanks et al 1993;Paine and Millar 2002). The beetle larvae develop in a concealed environment under the bark, feeding on cambium and bark tissues, and rapidly kill their hosts (Froggatt 1916).…”

Interactions between Oncideres humeralis Thomson (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and Melastomataceae: host-plant selection and patterns of host use in south-east Brazil

“…O. humeralis larvae reach the central region of the Melastomataceae trunk through the bifurcations of the secondary branches (Paulino Neto 2003), which are rich in soft parenchymatic cells. Adaptation to intra-xylematic phloem may explain oligophagy in other cerambycid species (Papp & Samuelson 1981, Hanks et al 1993a, Berkov et al 2000.…”

“…Cerambycid beetles can be specialists associated with only one plant species (Papp & Samuelson 1981, Tavakilian et al 1997, Berkov & Tavakilian 1999, use plant groups of the same genus or family (Hanks et al 1991, 1993a, 1995, Berkov & Tavakilian 1999, Berkov 2002 or do not present any specificity (Solomon 1977, Rice 1985, Tavakilian et al 1997.…”