Distinguishing Male and Female Chinese Rose Beetles,Adoretus sinicus, with an Overview ofAdoretusSpecies of Biosecurity Concern

Abstract

The Chinese rose beetle, Adoretus sinicus Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Adoretini), is a broadly polyphagous scarab beetle that is economically important and causes damage to a wide variety of host plants including agricultural crops and ornamentals in Southeast Asia, China, the Hawaiian Islands and several other Pacific Islands. The species has become established in numerous regions and is of biosecurity concern because importation of this species to other regions poses a threat to agriculture due to its generalist herbivore feeding habits. Field and laboratory research directed towards control of the species is hampered by the lack of characteristics that allow accurate determination of the sexes on live beetles in the field. Here, three recognizable and reliable non-destructive morphological differences between the sexes of A. sinicus are documented: (1) the form of the terminal sternite; (2) the length to width ratio of protarsomere 1, and; 3) the ratio of the combined length of protarsomeres 2–4 to the length of protarsomere 1. Because many Adoretus species are of biosecurity concern, and because tools to identify Adoretus species are lacking, we review the natural history and research on control associated with A. sinicus as well as the genus as a whole.

The developmental biogeography of hawksbill sea turtles in the North Pacific

“…Figure C provides the wet volume contents: 8.1 mL algae (86.2%), 0.8 mL plastic (8.5%), and 0.5 mL beetles (5.3%). We identified two scarabs as Chinese rose beetles ( Adoretus sinicus ) which are an established invasive agricultural pest in the Hawaiian Islands (McQuate and Jameson ), particularly in Kauai. It is likely these beetles blew out onto the ocean from the adjacent agricultural fields in southern Kauai.…”

“…Terrestrial insects have not been previously recorded as dietary items in Hawaiian sea turtles. The presence of two A. sinicus scarabs in the intestine suggests the turtle was feeding close to Kauai Island where this beetle is a dominant agricultural pest (McQuate and Jameson ).…”

Control of Chinese rose beetle through the use of solar-powered nighttime illumination

“…56 plant families (Habeck, 1964; Hession et al., 1994). Host plants include many economically important plants (Habeck, 1964; Arita et al., 1993; McQuate & Jameson, 2011) that can suffer delayed maturation and reduced fruit yield from the feeding damage (Tsutsumi et al., 1993). In severe cases, most leaves can be skeletonized (Mau & Kessing, 1991).…”

Morphological and Molecular Identification of Adoretus hirsutus (Ohaus, 1914) (Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae:Rutelinae) from Erbil Governorate Kurdistan Region- Iraq

“…Adult Adoretus beetles are considered generalist herbivores, as they feed on the leaves of various plant species across a wide range. Several other species are also pests and invasive [9]. Many species of the genus can cause heavy damage in nurseries and young plantations [10].…”