Feeding of Lobiopa insularis (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) on strawberries

Abstract Lobiopa insularis (Castelnau) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) is a destructive pest, present in the field during the strawberry fruiting season. In this study, we characterized and quantified the damage caused by larvae and adults of L. insularis to strawberries at different ripening stages. Green, semi-ripe, and ripe strawberries were caged with larvae (n = 10) or adults (n = 5) for 72 h. Fruits at the three ripening stages were kept in cages without the presence of insects, representing the controls. The percentage values of damaged fruits varied among the ripening stages. The green strawberries were the least attacked by insects. In contrast, semi-ripe and ripe strawberries were the most prone to pest attack. Adult feeding increased the incidence of the phytopathogenic fungus Rhizopus stolonifer . The implications of these findings are discussed.