Stone Fruit Foliar Nitrogen and Extrafloral Nectar in Relation to Cigarette Beetle (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) Growth on the Leaves

Abstract

Seasonal nitrogen concentration was determined in the young terminal leaves, mature fully-expanded leaves, and stems of vegetative shoots from nectarine, peach, and plum ( Prunus spp.) trees. Nitrogen content was highest in the terminal foliage, lowest in the stems, and gradually decreased in all shoot parts except plum stems as the season progressed. Extrafloral nectar volume produced by nectarine trees was highest early in the growing season and decreased with time. Soluble solids in the nectar were variable but were not related to nectar volume. The cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne (F.), was successfully reared on dried ground plum leaves but not on nectarine or peach leaves. Early- to midseason plum foliage provided an adequate diet for cigarette beetle but the insect developed more slowly on late-season foliage.