I. P. LEZHENINA, Yu. V. VASYLIEVA Megabruchidius dorsalis (Fåhreus, 1839) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) is a new adventive species in the Kharkiv Region (Ukraine)

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Lezhenina, I. P., Vasylieva, Yu. V. Department of Zoology and Entomology, Dokuchaiev Kharkiv National Agrarian University, P.O. ‘Dokuchaievske’, Kharkiv District., Kharkiv Region, 62483, UKRAINE; e-mail: iryna57lezhenina@gmail.com, vasilevaula952@gmail.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Received 03.12.2018 Accepted 17.12.2018 by Dr. V. L. Meshkova Published 21.12.2018 UDC 595.768.13:591.4/.5:591.9(477.54) DOI: 10.36016/KhESG-2018-26-2-3


I n t r o d u c t i o n .
The problem of alien species penetration into the territory of Europe attracts more and more attention, and the number of publications to adventive species increases significantly every year (Орлова-Беньковская, 2017) are devoted.
For the first time for Ukraine, an East Asian seed beetles indicated by V. V. Martynov and T. V. Nikulina in 2014 from the Donetsk Region (Avdeyevka) (Martynov, Nikulina, 2014). Later, in 2015, it was registered in Kyiv (Fursov, Nazarenko, 2015). Already in 2016, the Asian grain was found in all districts of the Donetsk Region (Мартынов, Никулина, 2016).
Information about this species for the Kharkiv Region is missing. Also, almost nothing is known about the biology of M. dorsalis in a new region. It is known that in Europe its larvae feed by the seeds of Gleditsia and Gymnocladus (György, 2007).
The a im of our work is study of M. dorsalis in the Kharkiv Region. M aterials a nd me tho ds. Material was collected in October-November 2018 in the stands of honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos L.) in the arboretum of the Dokuchaiev Kharkiv National Agrarian University. Preliminary examination of the beans of the honey locust showed the presence of exit holes in seed coat, which prompted us to examine the beans. For analysis, 100 beans were collected on the ground and 100 beans from trees. The beans were collected randomly. They were also collected for phenological observations and placed into cotton bag, which is stored in an unheated room. Известия Харьковского энтомологического общества 2018, том XXVI, выпуск 2 I S S N1 7 2 6 -80 2 8 Вісті Харківського ентомологічного товариства 2018, том XXVI, випуск 2 The Kharkov Entomological Society Gazette 2018, volume XXVI, issue 2
Re sult s and disc ussion. The initial examination of survey of honey locust beans showed that they had round exit holes, as is characteristic for seed beetles.
Since the beans of honey locust are poisonous to most insects due to the presence of 5-hydroxypipecolinic acid and triterpenoid saponins (György, 2007), it was obvious that they were damaged by seed beetles of the genus Megabruchidius, which host is honey locust. Cutting of the beans revealed adults, larvae, and pupae of M. dorsalis have been found (Fig. 1-5).

F i g . 5 . Megabruchidius dorsalis, ♀ (photo by B. A. Kolomoets).
Megabruchidius dorsalis developed in 52 % of the beans harvested in the current year (collected from the trees in 2018). One or two specimens developed in one bean, no more than one larva in one seed (table).
As one can see from the Table, the beans, collected on the ground, were more infested -81%. In such beans, one to fifteen exit holes were found, and 19.1% of seeds were infested on average. It is obvious, that over three exit holes per bean is explained by the fact that the bruchid oviposits on the beans harvested in the previous years. In the article devoted to biology of the relative species M. tonkineus (Pic, 1904) (György, 2007), it is also mentioned, that bruchids often oviposit into the beans harvested in the previous years, lying on the ground. Counting the number of beans with over three exit holes we found out, that about 68 % beans were infested repeatedly. Известия Харьковского энтомологического общества 2018, том XXVI, выпуск 2 I S S N1 7 2 6 -80 2 8 Вісті Харківського ентомологічного товариства 2018, том XXVI, випуск 2 The Kharkov Entomological Society Gazette 2018, volume XXVI, issue 2