Abstract:

The behavior of selecting-host of Anoplophora nobilis was observed and analyzed in mixed forest consisting of 30 species of trees. The results showed that the longhorned beetle varied their selecting-host behavior according to different level of host resistance. The susceptive host trees could be found by a complex, time-consuming and step by step sense behavior of the longhorned beetle and at last were seriously damaged to nearly death. After the susceptive trees were initially infested by a few longhorned beetles, the population of the longhorned beetles infesting susceptive host would fast rise, the reason is that the longhorned beetles were attracted by host odor at long distance and at short distance by intraspecific sex attraction. Besides vision, the main sense behavior was that a pair of antennae often swung and both of front , mid and hind tibiae respectively rubbed each other. The rough degree of bark, the characteristics of leaves, twigs and the density of mixed forest had impact on crawling, flying and inhabiting behavior of the longhorn beetles. Prunus persica f. Duplex, Toona sinensis, Robinia pseudoacacia, Hibiscus syriacus, Ligustrum lucidum, Sophora rubriflora could supply diet and attract the longhorn beetles by their odor, but mating and ovipositing behavior were not found on these hosts. The main function of these trees in mixed forest was proved to be prolonging the time that the beetles selected host and curbed the population of the longhorn beetles on the susceptive hosts. Platycladus orientalis, Syringa oblats, Prunus yedoensis also had strong attraction, but the longhorn beetle would not feed on them. So the proportion of all of the trees mentioned above should be increased and the susceptive trees should be used as trap trees when reforesting new mixed forest for resisting the longhorn beetles in North China.

Key words: Anoplophora nobilis Ganglbauer, Resistance, Behavior, Host, Mixed forest