Behavioral responses of adult deathwatch beetles, Xestobium rufovillosum de Geer (Coleoptera : Anobiidae), to light and dark

Video tracking equipment was used to quantify the behavior of adult deathwa tch beetles, Xestobium rufovillosum in a light/dark choice chamber Effects of insect age, sex, and mating status on this behavior were analysed The be havior recorded included the initial direction of movement, the time taken to reach the light or dark zone, the time spent in each zone, the lime spen t moving in each zone and the distance moved in each zone. The results show that both male and female insects 1-12 days old prefer the light zone. Ins ects more than 12 days old demonstrate sexually differential photoresponsiv e behavior: Males show a preference for the light. Females show an increasi ng preference for the dark, mated females more so than unmated females. The implications of these differences in behavior are discussed in relation to control programmes.