EXTENDED DEVELOPMENT IN THANASIMUS-DUBIUS (F) (COLEOPTERA, CLERIDAE),A PREDATOR OF THE SOUTHERN PINE-BEETLE

Thanasimus dubius (F.) is an important predator of the southern pine b eetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, a major pest of pine forests in the southern United States. We examined the development of T. dubi us in the field using emergence traps, and by sampling the bark of tre es previously attacked by D. frontalis. Over a 2-year period, several distinct episodes of T. dubius emergence occurred in trees enclosed by emergence traps, and bark sampling of other trees uncovered many T. d ubius immatures almost 2 years after attack by D. frontalis. These res ults indicate that T. dubius development may be significantly longer a nd more variable under natural conditions than previously thought, and suggest that some individuals may undergo a diapause.