ATTRACTIVENESS AND SUITABILITY OF HOST TREE SPECIES FOR COLONIZATION AND SURVIVAL OF PHORACANTHA SEMIPUNCTATA (COLEOPTERA: CERAMBYCIDAE)

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Abstract
Among the three species of potential hosts for Phoracantha semipunctata (F.) (Eucalyptus propinqua Deane and Maiden, Eucalyptus maculata Hook., and Angophora costata (Gaertner) Britten (all Myrtaceae)) tested in southeast Queensland, there were no differences in number of beetle galleries initiated by neonate larvae, larval mortality, larval survivorship, or parasitism rates. The larvae that survived to pupation in E. maculata produced significantly larger galleries, indicating larger larval size, than did larvae in either of the other two host species tested. There were no differences in the size of parasitized larvae among the three species of potential hosts. The results suggest that there were differences among species in host suitability for larval development but that females were either not able to distinguish those differences during oviposition or the selection for discrimination was not strong relative to the associated potential ecological costs.