Abstract
Leucothyreus femoratus Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is an important insect pest of oil palm plantations, because larvae and adults feed on plant roots and leaves, respectively. This suggests the necessity of comprehending the pest's feeding and behavioral habits for pest management. Food consumption and injury to leaves of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (Arecales: Arecaceae, African oil palm) by adults of L. femoratus in Colombia were studied. Locomotion of adults was evaluated with respect to 6 behaviors, i.e., emergence, hiding in the ground, walking, flying, feeding, and mating. In addition, larvae were collected from the roots of other plants found in the oil palm plantation in order to determine possible alternative hosts. Leaf consumption per adult L. femoratus was 13 mm2/day/insect (χ2 = 19.33, P < 0.0001). Leaf injury was in the form of squares or rectangles and cumulative defoliation reached 15.5% in 60 days. The insect showed predominantly nocturnal feeding and mating (χ2 = 95.53, P < 0.05; χ2 = 207.01, P < 0.05, respectively). Larvae of L. femoratus were found in abundance on the roots of Croton trinitatis Millsp. (Euphorbiaceae, road side croton) and Imperata cilindrica (L.) P. Beauv. (Poaceae, cogon grass). The feeding habits of larvae and adults of this insect may be main factors in their adaptation to oil palm plantations. The understanding of the feeding habits and behaviors of L. femoratus are important to define strategies for the management of their populations in oil palm plantations.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Each adult Leucothyreus femoratus consumed 13 mm2 of oil palm leaf per day in Colombia.
- Taxon
- Elaeis guineensis
Elaeis guineensise1 - Organ / stage
- leavese1
- Interactor
- L. femoratuse1pest
- Outcome
- Leaf consumption per adulte2
- Value
- 13 mm2/day/insecte2
- Setting
- Colombiae1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Food consumption and injury to leaves of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (Arecales: Arecaceae, African oil palm) by adults of L. femoratus in Colombia”
e2“Leaf consumption per adult L. femoratus was 13 mm2/day/insect (χ2 = 19.33, P < 0.0001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Cumulative defoliation by Leucothyreus femoratus adults on oil palm reached 15.5% in 60 days.
- Taxon
- Elaeis guineensisElaeis guineensise1
- Organ / stage
- leavese1
- Interactor
- L. femoratuse1pest
- Outcome
- cumulative defoliatione3
- Value
- 15.5%e3
- Qualifier
- in 60 dayse3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Food consumption and injury to leaves of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (Arecales: Arecaceae, African oil palm) by adults of L. femoratus in Colombia”
e3“Leaf injury was in the form of squares or rectangles and cumulative defoliation reached 15.5% in 60 days”
Claim · model-written summary
Leucothyreus femoratus showed predominantly nocturnal feeding and mating.
- Taxon
- Elaeis guineensisElaeis guineensise1
- Interactor
- L. femoratuse1pest
- Outcome
- predominantly nocturnal feeding and matinge4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Food consumption and injury to leaves of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (Arecales: Arecaceae, African oil palm) by adults of L. femoratus in Colombia”
e4“The insect showed predominantly nocturnal feeding and mating (χ2 = 95.53, P < 0.05; χ2 = 207.01, P < 0.05, respectively)”
Claim · model-written summary
Leucothyreus femoratus larvae were found in abundance on the roots of other plants in the oil palm plantation, Croton trinitatis and Imperata cilindrica.
- Taxon
- Elaeis guineensisElaeis guineensise1
- Organ / stage
- rootse5
- Interactor
- L. femoratuse5pest
- Outcome
- found in abundance on the rootse5
- Qualifier
- Croton trinitatis Millsp. (Euphorbiaceae, road side croton) and Imperata cilindrica (L.) P. Beauv. (Poaceae, cogon grass)e5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Food consumption and injury to leaves of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (Arecales: Arecaceae, African oil palm) by adults of L. femoratus in Colombia”
e5“Larvae of L. femoratus were found in abundance on the roots of Croton trinitatis Millsp. (Euphorbiaceae, road side croton) and Imperata cilindrica (L.) P. Beauv. (Poaceae, cogon grass)”
Claim · model-written summary
The feeding habits of L. femoratus larvae and adults may be main factors in their adaptation to oil palm plantations, according to the authors.
- Taxon
- Elaeis guineensisElaeis guineensise1
- Interactor
- L. femoratuse1pest
- Outcome
- adaptation to oil palm plantationse6
- Qualifier
- may be main factorse6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Food consumption and injury to leaves of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (Arecales: Arecaceae, African oil palm) by adults of L. femoratus in Colombia”
e6“The feeding habits of larvae and adults of this insect may be main factors in their adaptation to oil palm plantations”