Oviposition Preference And Offspring Performance Of Apoderus Dimidiatus (Coleoptera: Atelabidae) Between Rosa Multiflora And Rubus Ichangensis

Leaf-rolling weevils (Coleoptera: Atelabidae) are considered to be specialists that oviposit only on one or two plant species. However, Apoderus dimidiatus can oviposit on at least five species. We aimed to determine whether A. dimidiatus females have different preferences for oviposition substrates, and whether differences in physical factors, nutrition and parasitism affected their choices. We observed the number of cradles, hatched larvae, pupae, emerging adults and parasitism rate during one breeding season. Weevils were given access to two host plant species, Rosa multiflora and Rubus ichangensis, and the leaf size and nutrient contents of the two plant species were investigated. We found that nutritional content, especially soluble carbohydrate, correlated with oviposition preference of weevils, and the more nutritious plant species, R. multiflora, was the preferred host in our experiment. Weevils can also use Ru. ichangensis and other plant species as hosts, likely to relieve the high parasitic pressure when laying eggs on a single host species.