Seasonal flight activity of scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) associated with sugarcane in southern Queensland

Abstract

AbstractLight traps were run at six sites for up to 5 years to determine the seasonal flight activity of 14 scarab beetles associated with sugarcane in the Bundaberg, Queensland, district. Four patterns of seasonal activity were detected: brief spring activity by Antitrogus consanguineus and Lepidiota noxia; brief summer activity by Antitrogus parvulus, Lepidiota crinita, Lepidiota frenchi and Lepidiota negatoria; prolonged summer activity by Anoplognathus boisduvalii, Anoplognathus pallidicollis, Anoplognathus porosus, Dasygnathus trituberculatus, Repsimus aeneus and Xylotrupes gideon; and prolonged spring– autumn activity by Metanastes vulgivagus and Neodon pecuarius. The different flight patterns reflect different life cycle strategies to cope with environmental adversity. Females of Antitrogus spp. and L. crinita were rarely caught in traps, while in Anop. boisduvalii, Anop. pallidicollis, Anop. porosus, D. trituberculatus and X. gideon females outnumbered males. Differences between years in numbers of some species with 2‐year life cycles point to large differences in sizes of the two allochronic populations of these species. Differences in species composition between sites reflect differences in soil type.