Population dynamics of Monochamus carolinensis (Col., Cerambycidae) under laboratory conditions

The study of life history dynamics of the pine sawyer beetle Monochamus carolinensis (Olivier) is of interest because the beetles are vectors for the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner and Buhrer) Nickle, the causal agent of pine wilt in susceptible pine trees. Previous observation of a laboratory colony of M. carolinensis suggested numbers of adult beetles reared from logs varied little in relation to oviposition densities among individual logs. Logs in laboratory colonies are routinely subjected to artificially high oviposition rates. The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between initial oviposition rate, holding time (time between log cut and oviposition), log volume and area and adult survivorship in laboratory colony. This study examined the number of eggs, larvae, adults and generation survivorship in logs over a 2‐year period. The number of adults emerged per log was not related to the number of eggs laid. Late larval and adult numbers were significantly correlated with log size. Only 12% of the initial cohort completed development and emerged as adults. We attribute the high within‐log mortality of beetles to intraspecific competition and cannibalism.