AsianScientist (Jan. 15, 2015) – An international team of scientists has looked into the diminutive world of seed beetles in Xinjiang, China to reveal a diversity of 19 species, four of which are new records for the area. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys.
Seed beetles from the subfamily Bruchinae are small bugs that live in the seeds of plants. They feed on grain legumes and seeds of leguminous trees and shrubs. Adults deposit eggs on seeds, then the larvae chew their way into the seed. In most cases, they pupate in the seeds and leave when they become adults.
“Our group checked all seed-beetles specimens from Xinjiang (most collected from 1956 to 1978) in National Zoological Museum of China in Beijing. We have also examined materials collected twice on field in July 2009 and August 2013.” explains the lead author Ph.D. student Li You.
The study is a contribution to the little that is currently known about seed beetles in Xinjiang. The region is the largest Chinese administrative division and is known for its extensive areas and diversity of vegetation.
The article can be found at: Li et al. (2015) Contribution to the Knowledge of Seed-Beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) in Xinjiang, China.
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Source: Pensoft Publishers.
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