Biology of the Scolytidae and Platypodidae (Coleoptera) in a Tropical Deciduous Forest at Chamela, Jalisco, Mexico

Abstract

The feeding habits, degree of host specificity, and mating systems were examined for 96 species of Scolytidae and Platypodidae in a tropical deciduous forest at Chamela, Mexico. The dominant feeding habit was phloeophagy (59.4%), followed by xylomycetophagy (13.5%), myelophagy (13.5%), and xylophagy (12.5%). Most phloeophagous species were monophagous (limited to one plant genus); the other three groups were largely polyphagous. The mating systems found in order of importance were monogyny (40%), harem (heterosanguineous) polygyny (20.2%), inbred (consanguineous) polygyny (19.1%), and bigyny (18.1%). Monogynous species were mostly phloeophagous, to a lesser extent xylomycetophagous. Phloeophagy and xylophagy were equally represented among bigynous species. Harem polygynous species were almost exclusively phloeophagous while inbred polygynous species were mostly myelophagous or xylomycetophagous. All inbred polygynous species were polyphagous. The overall biological patterns of these beetles differed from those reported for Scolytidae and Platypodidae of temperate or tropical regions.