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Age-specific life-table data for the Eucalyptus boring beetle, Phoracantha semipunctata (F.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), in Malawi

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

W. Powell
Affiliation:
Forest Research Institute of Malawi, P.O. Box 270, Zomba, Malawi

Abstract

Age-specific life-table data were collected over a year for field and insectary populations of Phoracantha semipunctata (F.) on logs of Eucalyptus grandis in Malawi. Most mortality occurred in the larval stage, and the major mortality factor was intraspecific competition. Severe overcrowding led to a reduction in population density from one generation to the next. Overcrowding also led to a reduction in beetle size and to a shift in the sex ratio in favour of males. Elimination of potential breeding sites is recommended as an effective control measure for this pest.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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