Acanthoscelides pallidipennis

(Motschulsky, 1874)

Acanthoscelides pallidipennis is a leaf beetle in the Chrysomelidae, specifically within the seed beetle Bruchinae. Native to North America, it has been introduced to East Asia including Japan, where it was first recorded in 1997–1999. The is a seed of the introduced legume Amorpha fruticosa, achieving extremely high seed rates in its introduced range. It is subject to by Eupelmus .

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Acanthoscelides pallidipennis: /əˌkænθoʊˈskɛlaɪdiːz ˌpælɪdəˈpɛnɪs/

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Habitat

Seeds of Amorpha fruticosa; cut slopes where this legume has been introduced as soil cover

Distribution

Native to North America (Texas); introduced to Korea, China, and Japan (Kyushu Island, Fukuoka area)

Diet

Seeds of Amorpha fruticosa (Fabaceae: Astragaleae)

Host Associations

  • Amorpha fruticosa - plantintroduced legume; seeds are the sole food source
  • Eupelmus sp. - Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae; first recorded in Japan in 1999, parasitizes overwintered at extremely low levels

Life Cycle

Overwintered and first generation; larvae feed in dry seeds of previous years; both and able to overwinter

Behavior

High seed rates observed: 56.0% for overwintered and 92.0% for first generation feeding in dry seeds of previous years

Ecological Role

Seed of introduced legume Amorpha fruticosa; subject to by Eupelmus

Human Relevance

Economic impact as pest of Amorpha fruticosa, an introduced plant used for soil stabilization on cut slopes; introduction to Japan attributed to recent importation of A. fruticosa seeds from China and/or Korea

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