Xylotrupes Gideon Research Articles

OBSERVATIONS ON THE BIOLOGY OF XYLOTRUPES GIDEON (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE: DYNASTINAE) IN MELANESIA

ABSTRACTA method for breeding Xylotrupes gideon ulysses is described. The average duration of the different developmental stages was: egg 21 d, total larval period 188 d, prepupa 14 d, pupa 32 d, adult female 102 d, adult male 90 d. Average egg production was 55 eggs per female. In the field larvae were found under decaying coconut logs, while the adults were seen very occasionally feeding on coconut inflorescences. Sometimes X.g. szekessyi and X.g. asperulus adults were seen in numbers chewing bark on Delonix regia (Bojer) Raf. trees.

Descriptions of the larvae of some rhinoceros beetles (Col., Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae) associated with coconut palms in New Guinea

AbstractThird-stage larvae of the following species of Dynastidae associated with coconut palms are described:Xylotrupes gideon(L.) (including four subspecies,X. g. ulysses(Guérin),X. g. szekessyiEndrődi,X. g. beckeriSchaufuss andX. g. asperulusMinck), Scapanes australis (Boisduval) (including three subspecies,S. a. grossepunctatusSternberg,S. a. salomonensisSternberg andS. a. australis(Boisduval)),Trichogomphus fairmaireiArrow,Oryctes rhinoceros(L.),O. centaurusSternberg,Oryctoderus latitarsisBoisduval andOryctoderussp. (eitherO. coronatusBates orO. godeffroyi(Fairmaire). A key to species, based on larval characters, is included. Some small differences, particularly in setation, were found among the four subspecies ofX. gideonexamined, and differences in setation of the abdominal segments were found betweenS. a. grossepunctatusandS. a. salomonesison the one hand, andS. a. australison the other.