2 1 4 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS NITIDULIDS (COLEOPTERA: NITIDULIDAE) ASSOCIATED WITH CHINESE CHESTNUTS 1 2 Roger N. Williams, Harvey R. Kreuger^ ABSTRACT: An unusual growing season in 1977 caused many Chinese chestnuts, Costarica mollissima Blume, to split open at harvest time in NE Ohio. This allowed easy access by sap beetles ( Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) and enabled them to enter open burs and feed on nuts with split shells. Fifteen species of sap beetles, including three subfamilies, were encountered feeding on nuts and causing extensive damage. Subsequent tests proved that Chinese chestnuts are attractive to one species of sap beetle encountered in this study. Sap beetles (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), that are general feeders, are often attracted to ripe, overripe and decomposing fruits and vegetables (Williams et al. 1983). Payne and Johnson (1979) do not mention sap beetles as pests of Chinese chestnuts, Castanea mollissima Blume, and we cannot find any other publication which does. Nuts and peanuts are listed as hosts of Carpophilus hemiptems ( L.), but no reference to chestnuts is made (Hinton 1945). Dr. J.A. Payne of the Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Station at Byron, GA (pers. com. 1978) mentioned that sap beetles are often found in weevil-infested chestnuts; however, they are secondary pests following weevil infestations. Prompted by complaints from several chestnut growers in NE Ohio in the fall of 1977, investigations were launched to determine the cause of feeding damage to the nuts. Survey of sap beetles Fifty bur samples of Chinese chestnuts were collected from the orchard floor in both Wayne and Medina Counties. Burs were gently picked up and quickly placed in double plastic bags, to prevent fast moving arthropods from scampering away in the ground cover. As soon as samples were collected, plastic bags were sealed. Samples were returned to the laboratory and examined for insects. As insects were encountered, they were placed in vials containing 70% alcohol. Due to the difficulty of removing insects from the nuts inside the burs, entire burs were shaken vigorously in a shallow pan Deceived October 26, 1984. Accepted June 3, 1985. 2 Salaries and research support provided by State and Federal Funds appropriated to the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University. Journal Article No. 172-84. 3 Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, Ohio 44691. ENT. NEWS 96(5): 214-218, November & December 1985
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