Life History Characteristic and Larval-Pupal Parasitoids of the Dolichandrone Weevil, Cionus sp. (Coleoptera:Curculionidae)

Abstract

Mangrove trumpet trees (Dolichandrone serrulata (Wall. ex DC.) Seem are popular in Thailand and used as edible plants and ornamental trees. Cionus sp.(Dolichandrone weevil) feeds on Mangrove trumpet trees but data on its life history is very limited. Based on field collection from the Mangrove trumpet tree from public parks in Nonthaburi province, Thailand and laboratory studies, it provides the morphological description of larvae and adults, new data on growth and development of Cionus sp. as well as its larval-pupal parasitoids. The insect species has four different life stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. After adult emergence for 5-7 days, mating will occur during daytime and the copulation lasts for 5-10 hours. The female laid eggs in a group of 3-7 eggs. A minimum of 14.71 days is required for passing through the egg, larval and pupal stages. Females live slightly longer than males (82.35 and 81.20 days, respectively). Upon the completion of larval development, it will build a cocoon, pupate in there and attach to the ventral or dorsal part of leaf surface. The adults normally emerge in the morning. It exibits death-feigning behaveior when being disturbed. In nature, both adults and larvae are commonly found in the rainy season. These insect larvae feed on leaves and young twig surface of Mangrove trumpet trees whereas adults prefer young leaves. Heavy infestation can stunt the tree’s growth and cause dieback. The larvae and pupae were observed parasitized by the hymenopteran parasitoid, Entedon sp. The parasitization occurrence during May, 2017 to July, 2018 was 6.25-24.19% in larvae and 0.00-62.50 % in papa. Further studies should be conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Entedon sp. as the potential biological control agent for Cionus sp population reduction in home gardens and residential areas.

Keywords

• Death-feigning behavior,Entedon sp.,Growth and development,Lifespan,Natural control

References

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