Diversity and distribution of the Aegorhinus genus in the La Araucanía Region of Chile, with special reference to A. superciliosus and A.nodipennis

Abstract

The Araucanía region is a berry producing area where important behavioral aspects of species in the genus Aegorhinus, a pest that affects crops, are still unknown. The objectives of this study were to determine the distribution, abundance and richness of these species in agroecological zones of La Araucanía Region and to determine the hosts in which they were found. The sites where these species were found were represented on a map divided into grids of 25 x 25 km. Eight species of Aegorhinus were found in the area, and Aegorhinus nodipennis and Aegorhinus superciliosus were the most abundant. The diversity was analyzed using the Shannon-Wiener index, and the equitability was determined using the Pielou index. The agroecological zone with the greatest diversity of the region corresponded to mountain ranges; however, the central plain registered the highest abundance of individuals. This study introduces new hosts for six of the eight species found in the region.

Phylogenetic analysis of the complete mitogenome sequence of the raspberry weevil, Aegorhinus superciliosus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), supports monophyly of the tribe Aterpini

“…While A. superciliosus primarily uses native plant species present in the temperate rainforest as hosts (Parra et al, 2009), the introduction of new fruit and berry-producing species has expanded the host range of A. superciliosus, leading to its classification as an economically important pest in South America (Klein and Waterhouse, 2000;Parra et al, 2009). Adults cause some damage by chewing on leaves and shoots, but the principal damage is caused by the feeding of larvae on the roots, which often kill the host plant (Parra et al, 2009;Zavala et al, 2011).…”

Attractant Effect of Eucalyptus globulus (Labill) and Foeniculum vulgare (Mill.) Essential Oils on Aegorhinus superciliosus (Guérin) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

“…Aegorhinus superciliosus (Guérin) or raspberry weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a native pest of southern Chile associated with many crop species such as Rubus idaeus L. (raspberry), Vaccinium corymbosum L. (blueberry), and Corylus avellana L. (European hazelnut) (Aguilera et al 2011;Zavala et al 2011). Both larvae and adults damage their host plant.…”

Repellent Activity of the Essential Oil from the Heartwood of Pilgerodendron uviferum (D. Don) Florin against Aegorhinus superciliosus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

“…Aegorhinus superciliosus Guérin (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), commonly known as the raspberry weevil, is endemic to Central-Southern Chile and Neuquén, Río Negro, Argentina. A. superciliosus is associated with deciduous forests and Valdivian temperate forests from the Maule to Los Lagos Regions (41°55′11″S, 72°8′29″W) [1] and is the most important pest in the La Araucanía Region because they feed on valuable berries including raspberries, blueberries and strawberries [2]. The larvae bore into the lateral roots with their powerful jaws, finally boring into the primary roots to build chambers to pupate, which may cause the death of the hosts.…”