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Life history, aggregation and dormancy of rubber plantation litter beetle Luprops tristis Fabricius, (Tenebrionidae: Coleoptera) is described from rubber plantation belts in the western slopes of Western Ghats from the south Indian state of Kerala. The life cycle lasted 12 months, including the 5 larval instars lasting 1 month, the 3 day pupal stag...
Citations
... 28 They are very special among other Coleopterans on having a period of oligo-pause (lasting up to 9 months) which is an intermediate between quiescence and diapause. [29][30][31] Abdominal gland of Mupli beetle is known as pygidial glands which have two sets of secretary lobes, collecting canal and collecting reservoir. The yellow secretion of this gland is their defensive tool against predators. ...
Graphene exhibits remarkable properties and holds substantial promise for diverse applications. Its unique combination of thermal, chemical, physical, and biological properties makes it an appealing material for a wide range of uses. But, the lack of an economical and environmentally friendly approach to synthesize good-quality graphene represents an immense challenge for the scientific community. What makes this research unique is the utilization of the defensive gland extract from the beetle species Luprops tristis (Order: Coleoptera, Family: Tenebrionidae) to synthesize a few layers of graphene (FLG). This innovative incorporation of natural resources and exploration of biologically inspired methods provides an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to conventional graphene production techniques. The exfoliated graphene displayed antimicrobial effects against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria, with particularly potent bactericidal activity. Additionally, the cytotoxicity assay demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of biosynthesized graphene against Daltons Lymphoma Acetic (DLA) cells.
... The darkling beetles (Luprops tristis) and the acid fly (Paederus fuscipes) are the most notorious arthropod pests that have invaded human residents in the Malabar region. The former is a nuisance pest invading the residential areas close to rubber plantations, whereas the latter is a health pest associated with a dermatological condition called Paederus dermatitis (Sabu et al., 2008;Bong et al., 2012). ...
... Luprops tristis (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) is a litter-dwelling darkling beetle, which has been reported to invade the residential areas close to rubber plantations in large numbers following short spells of summer rains (Abhitha et al., 2010). The invasion occurs in numbers ranging from 0.5 million to 4.5 million, after which they enter into an extended period of dormancy lasting up to 9 months (Sabu et al., 2008). Although the beetle in itself is harmless when stressed, it releases an odorous phenolic substance which, if it comes in contact with skin can cause burns. ...
Objectives
Paederus fuscipes and Luprops tristis constitute Kerala's two most notorious home-invading arthropod pests. To control their infestations, indoor application of pesticides is commonly practiced, which is detrimental to human health and the environment. This study explores the bioactive properties of plant essential oils as a control agent against them.
Methods
We analyzed the constituents of oils, their repellence, and fumigant toxicity against P. fuscipes and L. tristis. The constituents and the bioactive compounds in oils were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass spectroscopy analysis. For the evaluation of the repellence activity of the plant essential oils- two choice bioassays were performed, where the control was treated with acetone, and the test contained a mixture of oil in acetone (0.1µL/cm²). Fumigant toxicity of oils was done by no choice bioassay (0.1µL/ml air). To determine the potency of the oils, lethal concentration 50 (LC50) was determined; LC50 refers to the concertation of a substance in the air required to kill 50% of the test animals over a period of time. LC50 of cinnamon oil no choice assay with 0.04µl/ml, 0.06µl/ml, 0.08µl/ml, 0.1µl/ml and 1.2µl/ml concentration was performed.
Results
Of the three plant essential oils, turmeric oil was the best repellent against both P. fuscipes (86.66±11.54) and L. tristis (40±20). Cinnamon oil showed the highest activity as a fumigant with 100% and 73.33±46.18% mortality in P. fuscipes and L. tristis after 8 hours of exposure. The analysis of the constituents indicated the presence of over 63 different chemical compounds in the three oils. The three plant essential oils tested showed insect deterrent activity, with turmeric oil as the best repellent and cinnamon oil as the best fumigant against pests.
Conclusions
The activities shown were significant enough to be used to replace/add to the conventionally used pesticides, especially in indoor settings. These oils in themselves or by isolating the specific compounds could pave the way to developing more effective and greener pest control methods.
... This might be the reason for low population density of these mites in the top soil. Therefore, various microclimatic changes such as temperature, photoperiods, rainfall, humidity, decomposition of litter and variation in availability of food resources such as soil fungi might be important factors in triggering seasonal activity of soil arthropods including mites (Sabu et al. 2008). ...
... This may be the reason for low population density of oribatid mites in summer. Therefore, various microclimatic changes like temperature, rainfall, humidity, decomposition of litter and variation in availability of food resources are important factors in triggering seasonal activity of oribatid mites (Sabu et al. 2008). Kaneko (1998);Hansen (1999); Heneghan et al. (1999); Haq and Konikkara 1988;Wickings and Grandy 2011and Haq 1984, 1987, 1996, 2007a reported that several species of oribatid mites are instrumental in increasing soil fertility, plant growth and productivity by enhancing soil biodegradation process, reduction of litter mass, releasing bound nutrients, stimulating microbial respiration and decreasing fungal biomass. ...
Soil represents an important reservoir of biodiversity consisting of various forms of life and role in promoting soil health and fertility. The present study was undertaken to explore the diversity and seasonal occurrence of soil arthropod mesofauna with emphasis on oribatid mites in three different tea agro-practicing gardens viz., conventional, organic and biorational approaches located in Assam. Periodical survey was carried out for a period of two years (August 2016–July 2018) and the soil arthropods were extracted, preserved, counted and identified. Oribatid mites were recognized as the most numerically dominant group of arthropod mesofauna in tea soils. A total of 40 species of oribatid mites belonging to 19 families were recorded in the present work. Population of oribatid mites exhibited a fluctuating trend being higher in post-monsoon period (October–November), slightly declined in monsoon (June –September), then in winter (December–February) and was sharply declined during summer (March–May). The Shannon diversity index (H) was found to be appreciably high in organic tea garden (3.08) followed by biorational tea garden (2.8) and conventional tea garden (2.72).
... forests of Mexico and Florida [5]. Nevertheless, although seasonal aggregations are a fascinating phenomenon, ultimate mechanisms for their formation are still poorly understood [10][11][12]. ...
Aggregation during diapause is a common phenomenon in arthropods that nevertheless remains poorly understood. The most commonly claimed benefit is that survival is higher in aggregations but animal aggregations could also be driven by sexual selection. In this perspective, we investigated whether aggregations in insects could be part of their mating system. We studied the overwintering aggregations of the ladybird Hippodamia undecimnotata (Schneider), an aphidophagous species from Southern and Eastern Europe as well as Asia. We collected ladybirds at three aggregation sites in Southwest France, during two overwintering periods (2013-2014 and 2014-2015). We checked their reproductive status by counting the viable sperm cells in the sperm storage organs of both males and females, and by assessing the ovarian status of females. We also investigated if mating behaviour occurred in these aggregations. We found that males have a high quantity of viable sperm cells (70-95%) in their reproductive organs throughout the overwintering periods. In contrast, although most females (85-95%) had empty spermatheca at the onset of the aggregations in autumn, the majority (65-91%) had numerous viable sperm in their spermatheca at the time of dispersal from the aggregation in early spring. Furthermore, frequent copulations were observed towards the end of the overwintering period, few weeks before dispersal. These results suggest that finding sexual mates may have been involved in overwintering aggregations in H. undecimnotata.
... Data on the feeding habits and ecology of tenebrionids in the Indian subcontinent are mostly confined to the biology of pest species such as Tribolium castaneum and Alphitobius diaperinus (Battu & Dhaliwal 1975), including a report of infestation of A. diaperinus by Subulura brumpti in poultry houses (Karunamoorthy et al. 1994) and association of A. diaperinus and T. castaneum with bird nests (Bhattacharyya 1995), bionomics and host plant preference of the home invading nuisance pest Luprops tristis in rubber plantation belts ( Sabu et al. 2007Sabu et al. , 2008, efficacy of the protein-enriched flour of pea (Pisum sativum) against Tribolium castaneum (Pretheep-Kumar et al. 2007) and comparison of diversity of tenebrionid populations in agroforest, ragi field and grasslands in Karnataka (Gowda 2010). Apart this latter study (Gowda 2010), there is no data on the ecology of tenebrionids in south India and in particular from the Western Ghats, a global hotspot of biodiversity. ...
... Abundance and richness: Higher abundance and richness of Tenebrionidae in the agricultural field than in the forest habitat is arising from the high abundance of three pest species, Luprops tristis ( Sabu et al. 2008), Mesomorphus villiger (Sitaramaiah et al. 1999) and Alphitobius diaperinus (Karunamoorthy et al. 1994). Luprops tristis, known as Mupli beetle, is a serious home invading nuisance pest ( Sabu et al. 2007) and Alphitobius diaperinus is a pest of stored and spilled grains and poultry (Dunford & Kaufman 2006). ...
Data on the abundance, feeding guilds, flightlessness and endemic status of darkling beetles from selected forest sites and agriculture fields in the moist south Western Ghats in south India are provided. Overall abundance, diversity and evenness were higher in agriculture fields than in forest. Luprops tristis was the major species in agriculture field and Gonocephalum bilineatum in forest. Mycetophagous and detritivorous guilds were reported from the agriculture fields and detritivorous guild alone from the forests. Epigean, subterranean, corticolous, dung associated and mycetophagous darkling beetles were present in agriculture fields in contrast to the record of epigean and subterranean forms in forests. Higher abundance of flightless platynotine genus Menearchus, endemic to the Indian subcontinent in the agricultural field is attributed to the decaying organic matter availability in the open, dry environment conditions in agriculture field.
... Litter dwelling detritivore beetle Luprops tristis (Fabricius) (Tenebrionidae: Lagriinae: Lupropini), is a serious home invading nuisance pest in the rubber plantation belts of Kerala state of India, for the last three decades. Their massive seasonal invasion in to residential buildings prior to monsoon rains and prolonged presence inside the houses for eight months (Sabu et al., 2008) makes them the most dreaded nuisance pest of the region. L. tristis breeds and feeds in rubber litter, thick litter stands present in rubber plantations during pre-summer and summer period are the ideal breeding and feeding ground and its biology is synchronised 78 with the phenology of annual leaf shedding and leaf sprouting of rubber trees (Sabu and Vinod, 2009a;b). ...
... Despite three decades of their wide spread presence in the region, no efficient strategies for controlling the population build up of L. tristis have been developed and there is a need to develop environmentally benign control tactics (Aswathi and Sabu, 2011). All across the region, the new generation beetles have been selecting the same sites for aggregation even after the treatment of chemical insecticides in shelters (Sabu et al., 2008). It lead to the proposal that the semiochemicals released by the aggregated beetles could be involved in the attraction of new generation beetles to the shelters used by the previous generation, and identification of the semiochemicals prevailing in the aggregation sites may enable development of a pheromone-mediated management programme to control the menace. ...
Luprops tristis (Mupli beetle) is noted for the magnitude of nuisance caused by home invasion in millions prior to monsoon rains and subsequent dormancy inside residential buildings in rubber plantation belts of Kerala state of India, for the last three decades. Return of the new generation beetles into the same shelters used by parent generation strongly suggests the involvement of semiochemicals based at aggregation sites and identification of such semiochemicals may offer alternative management strategies for this nuisance species. In the present study, air borne volatiles from the aggregation site during different phases of dormancy were collected, identified, bioassayed for behavioural response and possible role of identified volatile compounds in the selection of aggregation sites and maintenance of aggregation has been discussed.
... Huge aggregations of this litter dwelling beetle, Luprops tristis, numbering about 0.5 to over 4 million per residential building, is a regular event in rubber tree tracts along the western slopes of the southern region of the Western Ghats. They are usually found after summer showers, and stay in a state of dormancy for a prolonged period [5]. Their high abundance of about 20 million per hectare in rubber plantations illustrates the range of L. tristis infestation [6]. ...
Insects hold potential for deriving novel bioactive substances against multiple drug resistant bacteria that pose serious challenges for the clinical management of several microbial mediated diseases. In this context, Luprops tristis, a rubber plantation litter pest with a high population in the moist South Western Ghats of India was explored for possible bioactive substances. In-vitro studies showed that all the Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus NCIM No. 2079; Bacillus cereus NCIM No. 2217; and Lysinibacillus BTTS10) and Gram negative species (E.coli NCIM No. 2574; Salmonella typhi BTC12; Klebsiella pneumonia NCIM No.2957) tested were sensitive to this compound. The minimum inhibitory concentration was 0.067mg mL-1 for S. aureus, L. fusiformis and 6.7mg mL-1 for E.coli, S. typhi, K. pneumoniae. The extract was partially purified by column chromatography. FT-IR showed the presence of alkenyl (C=C) & carbonyl (=CO) groups. GC MS indicated the presence of [(hexadecyloxy) methyl]-, oleic acid, butylated hydroxytoluene and hexadecanoic acid.
... Massive seasonal invasions of the Mupli beetle, Luprops tristis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), cause various problems. These beetles enter residential buildings following summer showers, are nocturnal, are attracted to light, produce allergenic defensive secretions, and go dormant for 8–9 months, making them an extreme nuisance in the rubber plantation belts of southern India (Sabu et al. 2008; Sabu and Vinod 2009a, b). Their very high abundance, concealment in rubber plantation litter layers, aggregation in residential buildings, and lack of natural enemies (Aswathi and Sabu 2011) make controlling them with conventional methods unfeasible. ...
... To simulate the onset of summer showers starting in the last week of April, rubber leaves were no longer provided, and water was sprayed using a mist sprayer to induce dormancy. A wooden box (15 x 7 x 3 cm) was provided as the dormancy shelter for the beetles (see Sabu et al. 2008 for details). The experiment started in the last week of December , 2009 when the beetles started showing signs of arousal from dormancy. ...
... Although post-dormancy L. tristis could not enter the reproductive phase, its ability to survive on dry leaves for 3–4 weeks indicates its remarkable potential to survive until leaf sprouting and subsequent tender leaf fall. This could be a strategy to counteract the high mortality experienced during the last phase of dormancy (Sabu et al. 2008 ), which if continued could lead to death of the entire postdormancy beetle population and prevent the production of the next generation. One quarter of the beetles perish during the 9 month dormancy period (see Sabu et al. 2008 for details). ...
An analysis of host plant leaf age preferences and phenology studies led to the predictions that tender rubber plant leaves are essential for the completion of the life cycle of the Mupli beetle, Luprops tristis Fabricius (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and that low tender leaf availability during the post-dormancy stage will limit the beetle population. Analyses of the effects of feeding the beetles leaves of various ages, nitrogen (N) content, and moisture content on fecundity and the duration of post-dormancy survival were carried out. The results showed that tender leaf availability during the post-dormancy phase of L. tristis is a critical factor that determines the survival of L. tristis adults and the subsequent generation. The control of powdery mildew ( Odium hevea) disease-mediated premature leaf fall in rubber plantations may regulate the beetle population. A peak in fecundity during the early phase of post-dormancy is proposed as an adaptive mechanism of L. tristis to synchronize egg production and feeding with tender leaf availability in rubber plantations. Variations in nutrient levels and moisture content between deciduous rubber tree leaves of different ages are attributed to the leaf nutrient resorption mechanism of senescing leaves. These results established that tender leaves with high N and moisture levels are essential for post-dormancy survival and that N influences fecundity. The results of the experiments could aid decision making regarding the population management and control of L. tristis in rubber plantations.
... Massive seasonal invasions of the Mupli beetle, Luprops tristis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), cause various problems. These beetles enter residential buildings following summer showers, are nocturnal, are attracted to light, produce allergenic defensive secretions, and go dormant for 8–9 months, making them an extreme nuisance in the rubber plantation belts of southern India (Sabu et al. 2008; Sabu and Vinod 2009a, b). Their very high abundance, concealment in rubber plantation litter layers, aggregation in residential buildings, and lack of natural enemies (Aswathi and Sabu 2011) make controlling them with conventional methods unfeasible. ...
... To simulate the onset of summer showers starting in the last week of April, rubber leaves were no longer provided, and water was sprayed using a mist sprayer to induce dormancy. A wooden box (15 x 7 x 3 cm) was provided as the dormancy shelter for the beetles (see Sabu et al. 2008 for details). The experiment started in the last week of December , 2009 when the beetles started showing signs of arousal from dormancy. ...
... Although post-dormancy L. tristis could not enter the reproductive phase, its ability to survive on dry leaves for 3–4 weeks indicates its remarkable potential to survive until leaf sprouting and subsequent tender leaf fall. This could be a strategy to counteract the high mortality experienced during the last phase of dormancy (Sabu et al. 2008 ), which if continued could lead to death of the entire postdormancy beetle population and prevent the production of the next generation. One quarter of the beetles perish during the 9 month dormancy period (see Sabu et al. 2008 for details). ...
An analysis of host plant leaf age preferences and phenology studies led to the predictions that tender rubber plant leaves are essential for the completion of the life cycle of the Mupli beetle, Luprops tristis Fabricius (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and that low tender leaf availability during the post-dormancy stage will limit the beetle population. Analyses of the effects of feeding the beetles leaves of various ages, nitrogen (N) content, and moisture content on fecundity and the duration of post-dormancy survival were carried out. The results showed that tender leaf availability during the post-dormancy phase of L. tristis is a critical factor that determines the survival of L. tristis adults and the subsequent generation. The control of powdery mildew (Odium hevea) disease-mediated premature leaf fall in rubber plantations may regulate the beetle population. A peak in fecundity during the early phase of post-dormancy is proposed as an adaptive mechanism of L. tristis to synchronize egg production and feeding with tender leaf availability in rubber plantations. Variations in nutrient levels and moisture content between deciduous rubber tree leaves of different ages are attributed to the leaf nutrient resorption mechanism of senescing leaves. These results established that tender leaves with high N and moisture levels are essential for post-dormancy survival and that N influences fecundity. The results of the experiments could aid decision making regarding the population management and control of L. tristis in rubber plantations.
