Bean Beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus, a Model System for Inquiry-Based Undergraduate Laboratories

 

Christopher W. Beck & Lawrence S. Blumer

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2007, Volume 28

Abstract

Bean beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), are tropical and subtropical agricultural pest insects. This species is among the most tractable and robust laboratory animal systems but it is not widely used outside of research laboratories. C. maculatus is extremely easy to manipulate, maintain and has a very rapid life cycle. Extensive past and present research on C. maculatus (more than 150 journal articles in the past 10 years) provides opportunities for connections between undergraduate laboratory studies and research in ecology, evolutionary biology and animal behavior. We present general information on bean beetles that is necessary for using this species in laboratory courses. This information can be found at www.beanbeetles.org. In addition, we introduce an experiment that evaluates oviposition substrate choice. The experiment can be readily implemented as an inquiry-based study in introductory or advanced undergraduate laboratory courses. In this experiment, we will test the hypothesis that female bean beetles discriminate between seeds of the species from which they emerged (natal seeds) and seeds of another species that also are a suitable oviposition substrate.

Keywords:  oviposition, Callosobruchus, host, model system

Purdue University (2006)