Diets for rearing Scyphophorus acupunctatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract

Four meridic diets were evaluated as alternatives to the natural diet (Polianthes tuberosa) for laboratory rearing of Scyphophorus acupunctatus). The best diet tested for growth, survival, fecundity, and fertility was tuberose B. The latter resulted mean larval weight that was higher than the control, egg to adult survival of 97%, average number of eggs laid per female per wk of 7.8, and average eclosion of eggs of 82%.