Feeding and mating behavior of Dorcacerus barbatus (Olivier, 1790) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) on Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae)

Abstract

In this study we describe the mating behavior of Dorcacerus barbatus (Olivier, 1790) and its predation on the reproductive parts of Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) in a restored area of Atlantic forest, in southeastern Brazil. Lantana camara is regarded as one of the world's ten worst weeds. We found three species of longhorn beetles on this plant: Trachyderes succintus duponti Aurivillius, 1912, Andraegodius rufipes zonatus (Dalman, 1823), and D. barbatus; this last species represented more than 95% of all individuals found. This is the first record of these three cerambycid species on L. camara. We observed a sequence of mating-behavior stages: jousting, antennation, holding, mounting, fighting, licking, abdomen bending, and copulation. D. barbatus destroyed 60% of the reproductive parts during the mating process. These primary observations indicate that D. barbatus may be considered as a potential biocontrol agent for this invasive species.

Full text

155
Received: 04-IV-08
Accepted: 13-IV-09
Distributed: 18-IX-09
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Feeding and mating behavior of Dorcacerus barbatus
(Olivier, 1790) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) on Lantana camara
L. (Verbenaceae)
G. Wilson Fernandes & Jean C. Santos
Ecologia Evolutiva e Biodiversidade/DBG, ICB/Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, CP 486, 30161-970 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Lundiana 9(2):155-158, 2008
© 2009 Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - UFMG
ISSN 1676-6180
Beetles of the family Cerambycidae have assumed increasing
prominence as pests of forest and shade trees, shrubs, raw wood
products, and as vectors of tree diseases (e.g., Berti-Filho, 1997;
Dall’Oglio & Peres-Filho, 1997; Hanks et al., 1998). Moreover,
cerambycids are also considered important herbivores of several
plant species (e.g., Monné 2001abc, 2002ab, 2004). Thus,
detailed knowledge is needed on the natural history, behavior
and ecology of most Neotropical species of this important insect
group. In this study, we describe the mating behavior of
Dorcacerus barbatus (Olivier, 1790) and its predation on the
reproductive parts of Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) in a
restored area of Atlantic rain forest, in southeastern Brazil.
Lantana camara is a native plant in tropical and subtropical
America and is now widely distributed throughout the tropics,
subtropics and warm temperate regions of the world (Broughton,
2000; Ghisalberti, 2000). Dutch explorers introduced it into the
Abstract
In this study we describe the mating behavior of Dorcacerus barbatus (Olivier, 1790) and its predation on
the reproductive parts of Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) in a restored area of Atlantic forest, in
southeastern Brazil. Lantana camara is regarded as one of the world’s ten worst weeds. We found three
species of longhorn beetles on this plant: Trachyderes succintus duponti Aurivillius, 1912, Andraegodius
rufipes zonatus (Dalman, 1823), and D. barbatus; this last species represented more than 95% of all
individuals found. This is the first record of these three cerambycid species on L. camara. We observed a
sequence of mating-behavior stages: jousting, antennation, holding, mounting, fighting, licking, abdomen
bending, and copulation. D. barbatus destroyed 60% of the reproductive parts during the mating process.
These primary observations indicate that D. barbatus may be considered as a potential biocontrol agent for
this invasive species.
Keywords: Biological control, invasive species, insect behavior, herbivory, Atlantic Rain Forest.
Netherlands from Brazil in the late 1600s and later explorers
from other countries took seeds to continental Europe, Great
Britain and North America. Following its introduction into
Hawaii as a garden flower, it soon spread to the islands of the
Pacific, Australia and southern Asia (Ghisalberti, 2000). It
rapidly escaped cultivation to become one of the most noxious
weeds of the world (Broughton, 2000). It infests millions of
hectares of grazing and cropping land in 47 countries
(Ghisalberti, 2000), and is regarded as one of the world’s 10
worst weeds (Ghisalberti, 2000; Thomas & Ellison, 2000).
Lantana thrives in a wide variety of environmental conditions
and invades riverbanks, mountain slopes and valleys, pastures,
and commercial forests where it forms impenetrable stands that
obstruct access and utilization. Through allelopathic suppression
of indigenous plant species, Lantana invasions also interrupt the
succession processes (Gentle & Duggin, 1997) and reduce the
biodiversity of natural ecosystems. Many parts of L. camara are
toxic (Morton, 1994) and if consumed can cause cattle
poisoning, with estimated annual stock loss to the farming
community in South Africa of about 1800 heads (Kellerman et
al., 1996). As an example, L. camara was introduced in India

156
from Australia as an ornamental plant and later on invaded the
majority of Indian pasture lands (13.2 million ha), besides other
areas. The cost of its control is US$ 70 per hectare. As 4% of
India’s land area is pasture, the damage from Lantana is
estimated to be US$ 924 million per year (see Pimentel et al.,
2001).
The difficulties and expenses incurred by chemical and
mechanical control measures and the rapid rate of the weed’s
spread fueled the initiation of a strong biological control
program in the early 1960s. However, L. camara biological
control attempts started in 1902, followed by others at intervals
throughout the century (Broughton, 2000; Thomas & Ellison,
2000). These investigations resulted in 36 insect species being
released in various countries (Thomas & Ellison, 2000).
However, effective control has not been achieved yet because
the combined impact remains insufficient to reduce the weed to
acceptable levels and the biocontrol of the weed is considered
negligible (Anonymous, 1999). Most of the established
biocontrol agents are leaf feeders, which directed the search
towards new candidate agents that feed on different parts of the
plant (Winder & Harley 1983, Cilliers & Neser, 1991; Palmer &
Pullen, 1995; Broughton, 1999; Broughton, 2000, Palmer et al.,
2000; Thomas & Ellison, 2000; Baars et al., 2003; Williams &
Madire, 2007) or pathogens (Thomas & Ellison, 2000; Pereira et
al., 2003).
Casual observations on the herbivore insect and their host
plants in the Fazenda Bulcão, municipality of Aimorés, Minas
Gerais state, southeast Brazil, revealed three species of longhorn
beetles associated with L. camara in November 2004:
Trachyderes succintus duponti Aurivillius, 1912; Andraegodius
rufipes zonatus (Dalman, 1823); and Dorcacerus barbatus
(Olivier, 1790). Dorcacerus barbatus represented more than
95% of all individuals found. To our knowledge, this is the first
record of these three cerambycid species on L. camara.
The Fazenda Bulcão has an area of approximately 676 ha in
which a large land restoration program was initiated in 2001.
The Aimorés mountain ridge was originally covered by Atlantic
Forest vegetation of which only 5%-7% remains. Lantana
camara occurs in small patches throughout the property and
neighboring areas. We selected five individuals of this plant for
the observations on the feeding and mating behavior of D.
barbatus. Field behavioral observations were conducted unaided
and with the naked eye, following “ad libitum” (Altmann,
1974). Beetles were observed only during three days, and then
they disappeared. The highest abundance of beetles occurred in
the first day. Mating behavior events were observed from 08:00
to 17:00. Voucher specimens of the cerambycids were deposited
at the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo
(MZUSP), São Paulo, Brazil.
We observed a sequence of stages, namely jousting,
antennation, holding, mounting, fighting, licking, abdomen
bending, and copulation. The Dorcacerus barbatus male
approachs the female, touching her with his antennae or tarsi,
and then hold and mount her while touching her elytra and
pronotum with hihs palpae. Fukaya (2003) has shown that
similar mating attempts by males of Anoplophora malasiaca
(Thomson) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) were repeated on a glass
dummy treated with the solvent extract of female elytra,
indicating the presence of a female sex pheromone perceptible
by direct contact. Males mounted the female usually from the
Figure 1 - Dorcacerus barbatus (Cerambycidae) on Lantana camara
(Verbenaceae). (A) Abdomen bending during mating. (B)
Feeding on inflorescences. (C) Feeding on fruits.
Fernandes & Santos

157
rear, yet, at times, male and female may fight. In these
situations, the male lowers his head to stroke the elytra of the
female with his maxillary palpi. This behavior has been argued
to have a calming effect on the female (Crook et al., 2004). Once
mounted on a motionless female, the male curled the tip of his
abdomen, extending his genitalia under the female’s abdomen.
This “abdomen bending” continued until copulation commenced
(Fig. 1A). Similar mating behavior was observed by Crook et al.
2004 for the longhorn beetle Dectes texanus texanus LeConte.
We observed 24 mating pairs and 27 solitary individuals of D.
barbatus on the five individuals of L. camara. In spite of not
being quantified, it is probable that the single
individualsconsisted, in large part, of males waiting to approach
and copulate with females.
Most males of D. barbatus copulated while females fed on
the reproductive parts (flower and/or fruits) of L. camara. Plants
had an average of 121.6 ± 46.17 ( ± SE) reproductive parts. D.
barbatus totally destroyed 60% of them during the mating
process (Tab. 1). However, single individuals could also attack
the reproductive parts (Fig. 1B-C). Overall, most reproductive
parts of L. camara were attacked (attacked reproductive parts:
73.8 ±. 34.45, ± SE, n = 5 individuals; unattacked repro-
ductive parts: 47.8 ±. 14.17, ± SE, n = 5 individuals). Because
of the high impact on reproductive parts, D. barbatus may be
considered as a potential agent for the biological control of L.
camara. On the other hand, detailed studies on its impact on the
lifetime fitness and host specialization on L. camara are needed.
Dorcacerus barbatus may have a specific relationship with L.
camara. Despite the fact that this species was only found
feeding on L. camara, more studies will be needed. However,
other cerambycidae species (Aerenicopsis championi and A.
mendosa), not listed in this study, were also reported on L.
camara (see Monné, 2004). Among the longhorn beetles
observed, only T. succintus duponti (previously recognized as T.
succintus) attacks plantations of Eucalyptus (Berti-Filho, 1997)
and rubber trees, Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex Adr. Juss) Müll.
Arg., in Brazil (Dall’oglio & Peres-Filho, 1997). Among the
several plant species available at the study area, D. barbatus
appears to have selected L. camara as mating site, and this
selection of host plant can be of fundamental importance to the
behavior and biology of many cerambycid species. Hence,
detailed studies on the behavior and ecology of D. barbatus are
needed to answer this question.
Acknowledgments
We thank L. R. Viana and two anonymous reviewers for
their encouragement and comments on earlier versions of the
manuscript, M. Monné for comments and papers, U. R. Martins
(MZUSP) for the identification of the Cerambycidae and the
Instituto Terra for providing financial and logistical support. We
also thank CNPq (30.9633/2007-9) and Fapemig (CRA 697/06),
and Planta Tecnologia Ambiental.
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Table 1 - Number and proportion of attacked and unattacked reproductive parts (flowers and/or fruits), and the number of mating and solitary
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