Mating Behaviour and Egg Laying Pattern of the Areca Nut White Grub, Leucopholis lepidophora (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Abstract

The mating behaviour and egg laying pattern of the areca nut white grub, Leucopholis lepidophora, were studied in the Shivamogga district’s Hosanagara taluk. Females were active between 18:40 and 19:20 hrs, when light intensity dropped to 83.62 lux. The most males approached the virgin female at 18:50 hrs (15.94 lux) and the session ended at 19:20 hrs (0.26 lux). The typical mating behaviour of L. lepidophora was investigated. Female beetles began abdominal expansion and contraction, which could indicate that semiochemical secretion has begun. Males then approached, calling out to females. Male raised all of its legs, turned its body ventrally, and became suspended by the genitalia after inserting genitalia into the female abdomen. Copulation lasted an average of 74.60±6.61 minutes. The adult female’s pre-oviposition period, oviposition period, and postoviposition period were 9.56± 2.04 days, 3.72± 2.35 days, and 5.24± 4.67 days, respectively. Female longevity ranged from 11 to 28 days, with an average of 18.52± 4.91 days. The incubation period was 9.56± 2.04 days, with varying fecundity and clutch intervals ranging from 24-48 hours. Experiment on egg laying pattern revealed that females waited an average of 9.56± 2.04 days before oviposition began, after which they began to lay varying numbers of eggs at an average clutch interval of approximately 24-48 hours.