Apogonia blanchardi explained

Apogonia blanchardi, is a species of dung beetle found in India and Sri Lanka.^{[1] [2]}

Description

The species is characterized by strongly convex pronotum which is covered in very sparse and fine punctures.^[3]

Larval stage is considered as a serious pest of cocoa,^[4] where they feed on the cocoa leaf from the peripheral region. The female lays eggs in top few centimeters of soil, such as in pastures and near the host plants where the adults feed on.^[5] It is also found in Hibiscus plants.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Species diversity and relative abundance of scarab beetle fauna in Assam, northeast India . 2021-07-10 . Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2017; 5(1): 711-716.
2. Web site: Gautam . Handique . 2016 . Molecular Characterization and Physiological Aspects of Lepidiota mansueta Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) . 2021-07-11 . en.
3. Web site: Apogonia reticulata Frey, 1969 – a new and surprising junior subjective synonym for A. cribricollis Burmeister, 1855 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Diplotaxini) . 2021-07-10 . Acta Musei Moraviae, Scientiae biologicae (Brno) 98(1): 85–97, 2013.
4. Book: Das . Mrinmoy . Bhattacharyya . Badal . Pujari . D. . Handique . Gautam . Arthropod Diversity and Conservation in the Tropics and Sub-tropics . 2016 . Chakravarthy . Akshay Kumar . Sridhara . Shakunthala . Faunal Composition of Scarab Beetles and Their Hosts in Assam . http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-10-1518-2_21 . 2021-07-11 . Springer Singapore . 335–344 . en . 10.1007/978-981-10-1518-2_21. 978-981-10-1517-5 .
5. Web site: Record of Leaf Chafer Beetles Adoretus versutus Harold and Apogonia blanchardi Ritsema on Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) in Andhra Pradesh. . 2021-07-10 . Insect Environment, Vol.16 (1), April–June 2010.
6. Web site: Diversity of insect species along with their host in Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat . 2021-07-10 . Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2017; 5(6): 2307-2312.