Attractiveness and suitability of host tree species for colonization and survival of Phoracantha semipunctata (Coleoptera : Cerambycidae)

Among the three species of potential hosts for Phoracantha semipunctata (F. ) (Eucalyptus propinqua Deane and Maiden, Eucalyptus maculata Hook., and An gophora costata (Gaertner) Britten (all Myrtaceae)) tested in southeast Que ensland, then were no differences in number of beetle galleries initiated b y neonate larvae, larval mortality, larval survivorship, or parasitism rate s. The larvae that survived to pupation in E. maculata produced significant ly larger galleries, indicating larger larval size, than did larvae in eith er of the other two host species tested. There were no differences in the s ize of parasitized larvae among the three species of potential hosts. The r esults suggest that there were differences among species in host suitabilit y for larval development but that females were either not able to distingui sh those differences during oviposition or the selection for discrimination was not strong relative to the associated potential ecological costs.