PATCH BOUNDARY FLIGHT BEHAVIOR OF THE MEXICAN BEAN BEETLE (COLEOPTERA, COCCINELLIDAE)

I examined the flight behavior of the Mexican bean beetle, Epilachna v arivestis Mulsant, at 2 types of simulated patch boundaries, and compa red such behavior with the assumption of random movement often incorpo rated into simple diffusion models, I also examined flight behavior fr om the patch edge with respect to wind direction and sex. Movement fro m the patch edge was found to be equally nonrandom for both boundary t ypes, with approximate to 2/3 of the beetles flying in the direction o f the host plants. Beetles also displayed a tendency to gi upwind or p erpendicular to the wind at low wind speeds and downwind at high wind speeds. Flight behavior was not affected by sex of the beetles. Becaus e observed flight preference did not vary between patch boundary types or between sexes, nonrandom movement from the patch boundary could li kely be incorporated into diffusion models without significantly incre asing their degree of complexity.