Vertical distribution of female adults and larval offspring of the white grub Dasylepida ishigakiensis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in the soil of a sugarcane field on Miyako Island, Okinawa

Abstract

To determine the depth of soil at which mated females of the white grub beetle Dasylepida ishigakiensis Niijima et Kinoshita oviposited and their larval offspring stayed in the soil in different seasons, 847 mated female and male adults were released into a caged sugarcane field on Miyako Island. We then excavated this field systematically to collect adults and their larval offspring in the soil once or twice per month from 24 April 2002 to 31 March 2003. Dead females were found between 10 and 50 cm deep in the soil (N = 91), but most frequently in the layer 30–40 cm deep (N = 42; 46.2%). They were recovered more frequently in the soil at the plant foot (N = 73; 80.2%) than in the furrows (N = 18; 19.8%). On the other hand, no male carcass was discovered either in the soil or on the ground surface. The number of larvae discovered in the soil per row was large on 30 April (N = 52.5) and on 5 June (N = 58.3), when they were at the first instar. It decreased rapidly thereafter until 21 August (N = 9.5), when they molted to the second instar, and remained at similar levels through to the following 31 March (N = 8.0), during which they were mostly at the third instar. The larvae were found at various soil depths ranging from 0 to 70 cm, but the majority were found between 10 and 30 cm deep. The last sampling on 31 March indicated that mature larvae moved to a deeper layer for estivation. These results suggested that physical control through rotary tillage before they move to the deeper layer may be effective.