University of Tasmania
Browse

File(s) under permanent embargo

Comparison of feeding efficiency, development time and survival of Tasmanian eucalyptus leaf beetle larvae Chrysophtharta bimaculata (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on two hosts

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-26, 11:05 authored by Baker, SC, Elek, JA, Candy, SG
The native Eucalyptus leaf beetle Chrysophtharta bimaculata (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) has become a pest of the introduced, plantation species, Eucalyptus nitens Maiden in Tasmania, Australia. However, in the field it prefers to oviposit on the Tasmanian native species, E. regnans F. Muell. This laboratory study found that the performance of C. bimaculata larvae was superior on foliage of E. nitens compared with E. regnans. Larval development was 4 days shorter on E. nitens than on E. regnans foliage. Total food consumption per larva and relative consumption rates were about 30% lower while relative growth rates and weight of emergent adults were more than 25% higher on E. nitens than E. regnans. Efficiency of conversion (ECI) of fresh food into larval wet weight was 0.26 on E. nitens compared with 0.14 on E. regnans. Mortality of larvae feeding on E. nitens (23%) was only one third of that on E. regnans (69%), a result of high first instar mortality on E. regnans. Although the amount of foliage consumed per larva was lower on E. nitens (0.23 g vs 0.32 g), the differential mortality meant that the amount of E. nitens consumed per egg batch was 60% more than that of E. regnans. If these results occurred in the field, then the same monitored population of C. bimaculata eggs may result in heavier defoliation of plantation E. nitens than of E. regnans. These data show that the reported oviposition preference of C. bimaculata for E. regnans in the field cannot be explained by selection of host factors related to superior larval performance.

History

Publication title

Australian Journal of Entomology

Volume

41

Article number

2

Number

2

Pagination

174-181

Publication status

  • Published

Rights statement

The definitive published version is available online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Usage metrics

    University Of Tasmania

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC