Powderpost Beetle Communities (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) in Durian-Based Agricultural Areas in Southern Thailand

Abstract

The xylophagous powder post beetles of the family Bostrichidae are serious insect pests of forests and forest products, but studies of their ecology are rare. The present study investigated the communities of bostrichid beetles associated with durian-based agricultural areas in two study zones from southern Thailand. In total, 17 bostrichid species were collected, 15 in mixed-crop and 14 in monocrop systems. Xylothrips flavipes (Illiger) was the most common species in both systems (56.8% of all beetles caught). Mono-crop durian orchards had significantly more beetles per trap than mixed-crop orchards, but the relative abundances of species were similar (percentage similarity, 86.7%). The seasonal flight pattern in the durian orchards was more or less bimodal. The first abundance peak occurred at the beginning of the rainy season (May– July) and the second peak during the final weeks of the rainy season (November –January). Bostrichid numbers were more significantly correlated with climatic variables measured during the previous two months than with the current values, suggesting an effect on beetle development.