Cold tolerance of the coconut hispine beetle, Brontispa longissima (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Japan

• Published in: Applied entomology and zoology 2012-08, Vol.47 (3), p.173-180
• Main Authors: Takano, Shun-ichiro, Takasu, Keiji, Ichiki, Ryoko T., Nakamura, Satoshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Applied Ecology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Entomology; Environmental Management; Life Sciences; Original Research Paper; Plant Pathology; Zoology
• ISSN: 0003-6862; 1347-605X
• DOI: 10.1007/s13355-012-0105-y

The coconut hispine beetle, Brontispa longissima (Gestro), supposedly originated from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia but has recently invaded Southeast and East Asian countries where it has been causing serious damage to Cocos nucifera L. This insect also occurs on the Southwest Islands off Kyushu Island in Japan. To evaluate the potential northward range expansion of this insect in Japan, we investigated its cold tolerance at 0, 5, and 10 °C (egg, larva, pupa, and adult), 13 °C (adult), and 15 °C (egg and hatched larva). At 15 °C, few eggs hatched, and the larvae that hatched died within a few days of hatching. At 13 °C, Ltime 95 was estimated to be 23 days for adults, with the most cold-tolerant developmental stage at 10 °C. At all developmental stages, Ltime 95 of B. longissima was estimated to be 19 days at 10 °C, 8 days at 5 °C, and 5 days at 0 °C, suggesting the cold tolerance of this beetle is very low. Considering average daily temperatures, it is unlikely that B. longissima can establish itself north of Amami-Oshima Island, located in the far south off the main island of Japan.