2026-10-14T14:37:29Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/32889533 2026-09-19T00:33:30Z category_24064 category_26998 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Host Selection and Feeding Activity of <i>Leptocoris tagalicus</i> (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae) Reid Emery (19781511) Nigel Andrew (100943) Horticultural crop protection (incl. pests, diseases and weeds) Other environmental sciences not elsewhere classified Soapberry bug feeding behaviour. crop susceptibility emerging pests host use <p dir="ltr">Since 2018, industry reports have identified Leptocoris spp. (specifically L. tagalicus and L. ruffomarginatus) as emerging pests of Australian macadamia. Continued reports of feeding damage and orchard incursions led to Leptocoris being classified as a moderate pest threat in 2024. While Leptocoris has been increasingly observed in commercial macadamias, host associations with the crop are poorly understood, with no published work available documenting the feeding behaviour of L. tagalicus on macadamia, or its selection relative to known Sapindaceous hosts. </p><p dir="ltr">To investigate this further, we conducted multiple-choice feeding laboratory assays comprising two trials: (1) multiple-choice feeding between macadamia and four alternative known host fruits; and (2) multiple-choice feeding between four separate Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt and Chemical (BBCH) growth stages of macadamia. Feeding responses were quantified using insect occurrence on fruit and feeding intensity measured from stylet sheath counts.</p><p dir="ltr">We found that feeding intensity and occurrence differed significantly among host treatments (P < 0.001), with macadamia receiving the greatest feeding intensity an insect occurrence of all host species tested. Macadamia fruit at early-to-advanced maturation stages (BBCH 75-87) supported substantially greater feeding than fruit at the earlier development stage (BBCH 72) (P < 0.001). No differences in feeding intensity or occurrence were detected between nymphs and adults. </p><p dir="ltr">These findings provide the first experimental evidence that L. tagalicus readily selects macadamia fruit under controlled conditions and indicates that later stages of macadamia fruit development are most susceptible to feeding. These results create a foundation for understanding the emerging association between L. tagalicus and commercial macadamia production systems.</p><p><br></p> 2026-09-19T00:33:30Z Dataset Dataset 10.6084/m9.figshare.32889533.v3 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Host_Selection_and_Feeding_Activity_of_i_Leptocoris_tagalicus_i_Hemiptera_Rhopalidae_/32889533 CC BY 4.0