Oviposition Substrate Choice by Bean Beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus

 

Lawrence S. Blumer & Christopher W. Beck

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2008, Volume 29

Abstract

Bean beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus, are tropical agricultural pest insects. Females lay eggs on the surface of beans (Family Fabaceae). The most important choice a female makes for her offspring is the prey bean, as it will influence their growth, survival, and future reproduction. Students design and conduct experiments to evaluate the substrate choices of female bean beetles, and address three questions: Do bean beetles discriminate between bean species? Does the bean species from which a female emerged influence her subsequent choice of oviposition substrate? What are the consequences of a female’s choice of substrate on offspring survival and characteristics?

Keywords:  oviposition, Callosobruchus, host, bean beetle, life history traits

University of Kentucky (2007)