Distribution of diabroticine beetles among flowers and other structures ofwild host plants in south Texas

The distributions of diabroticine beetles were studied among patches of wil d Cucurbita foetidessima that were undisturbed by mowing, in mowed patches, and among other wild hosts in south Texas during 1996 and 1997. Three spec ies were commonly found in patches of wild C. foetidessima: Diabrotica balt eata, Acalymma vittatum, and D. undecimpuctata howardi. D. balteata aggrega ted heavily on cut fruit of C. foetidessima, but A. vittatum were found in flowers even in the presence of cut fruit. D. u. howardi were found in flow ers and cut fruit in roughly equal numbers. D. balteata were also found in three flowers of Argemone albiflora located among blossoming C. foetidessim a plants. D. u, howardi were found on several other species of wild host pl ants besides C. foetidessima.