''Carpophilus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

sap beetle The sap beetles, also known as Nitidulidae, are a family of beetles. They are small (2–6 mm) ovoid, usually dull-coloured beetles, with knobbed antennae. Some have red or yellow spots or bands. They feed mainly on decaying vegetable matt ...

s. They are agricultural pests that cause feeding damage to a variety of fruits, grains and other food products worldwide. The genus contains a great number of species.

Description

Adult ''Carpophilus'' are oblong-shaped beetles roughly 3 mm in length and black, brown or mottled yellow in colour. The elytra are short, exposing the last two abdominal tergites. The antennae are clubbed. Larval ''Carpophilus'' are yellowish with a brown head and a pair of urogomphi (giving the appearance of a forked tail). They are about 5 mm long when fully grown.

Life cycle

Adult ''Carpophilus'' are active in spring and summer. They can fly several kilometres in search of host fruit. When this is discovered, the females lay eggs in fruit on the tree (in the case of stone fruit) or in fallen fruit on the ground (in the case of

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

, apples and

figs The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

). They may also lay in stored products such as dried fruit. Larvae feed and grow within the fruit. When mature, larvae leave the fruit to pupate in the ground. Larvae that infest stored products also pupate in them. There are several generations a year. Development from egg to adult takes approximately one month in summer. It is temperature-dependent, taking about 12 days at warm temperatures (32.2 °C) and up to 42 days at cooler temperatures (18.3 °C). Humidity also affects the life cycle, with faster development (and also more eggs laid) at higher humidity. ''Carpophilus'' can

overwinter Overwintering is the process by which some organisms pass through or wait out the winter season, or pass through that period of the year when "winter" conditions (cold or sub-zero temperatures, ice, snow, limited food supplies) make normal activi ...

in the mature larva, pupa or adult stages, and does so in fruit, stored products, soil or in cracks or under bark of trees.

Pest status

''Carpophilus'' are pests of various fruits (including stone fruit, citrus, persimmons, apples and figs) and stored products (including

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

cornmeal Cornmeal is a meal (coarse flour) or a cell membrane ground from dried corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to coarse, medium, and fine consistencies, but not as fine as wheat flour can be.Herbst, Sharon, ''Food Lover's Companion'', ...

bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

, oats,

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

, beans,

peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ' ...

nuts Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...

, cottonseed,

copra Copra (from ) is the dried, white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted. Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted from copr ...

, spices, drugs, and

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

). They damage fruit directly with their feeding and also indirectly by spreading diseases (e.g. brown rot). Carpophilus marginellus Motschulsky, 1858 (29428587852)

Carpophilus marginellus Motschulsky, 1858 (29428587852)

Selected species

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q14928640 Nitidulidae Beetles described in 1830

Description

Life cycle

Pest status

Selected species

See also

References