Artificial diet and temperature regimes for successful rearing of the citrus longhorned beetle, Anoplophora chinensis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Objectives: The citrus longhorned beetle, Anoplophora chinensis, is an important trunk borer and has an extensive host range. It is difficult to control the beetle as it is hidden in the truck and has a long larvae duration. A method for rearing the beetle is required to underpin studies of the biology and management, therefore the objective of this study was to compare insect performance on candidate artificial diets and temperature regimes. Methods: A． chinensis wasreared on four different diets over three successive generations and the effect of different temperature regimes on development of A. chinensis was investigated. Result: The results showed that A． chinensis was able to complete life cycle on the four artificial diets but with different pupation rates and emergence rates．Two diets ( Diet A and D) based onsawdust of Casuarina equisetifolia and wheat bran gave good performance over 3 generations of A． chinensis． Pupation rates over three generations on Diet A were 100% ，90% and 95% ，respectively and emergence rates were 100% ，83% and 90%，respectively．Pupation rates on Diet D were 87% ，78% and 87% ，respectively and emergence rates were 87% ，67% and 80% ，respectively． In addition，the rearing with these two diets showed that pupation and adult emergence rates were higher and more synchronized under fluctuating ( all completed in April to May，the times of pupation and emergence were consistent with those observed in field) rather than constant temperatures．The times of pupation and emergence at constant temperatures were extended and highly variable． The larval weight gain over time was assessed under fluctuating and constant temperatures，showing that larval weight peaked at week 16 － 20 depending on diet，and then declined until pupation or death． The larval weight under fluctuating temperatures peaked at week 16 ( late November ) and larval weights on Diet D (2. 077 g) were significantly higher than on Diet A (1. 685 g) ． Under constant temperature (28 ℃ )，the larval weight peaked at week 16 on Diet D and peaked at week 20 on Diet A．Conclusion: A． chinensis larvae can complete life cycle with high pupation and emergence rates，when being successively reared on Diet A and D． Temperatureconditions affect the determination of the timing of A． chinensis pupation and adult emergence． Although a larval chillperiod is not essential，it does increase the pupation rate and synchronize development time． These findings provide avaluable resource for culturing A．chinensis，specifically by identifying suitable artificial diets and the temperature effectson larval development．The results could also provide reference for rearing other cerambycid．