Role of female adult size in reproductive fitness of Semanotus japonicus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Abstract

In order to understand how variation in adult female size of Semanotus japonicus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) affects larval size and survivorship, we caged adults that varied in size on to cedar trees and then recorded offspring survivorship and the weight of the resulting progeny adults. Heavier females laid more eggs and produced larger eggs (determined by multiplying the horizontal length by the vertical length) and larger (heavier) 1st stadium larvae. Larval survivorship from the outer bark to adult emergence was greater for progeny of heavier parent females than for lighter parent females. These results suggested that larger larvae might be more successful at breaking through the heavy resin flow of healthy living trees. Thus, heavier adult females had greater overall reproductive fitness than did smaller parent females.