Pre-dispersal seed predation by Bruchidius villosus (Coleoptera, Bruchidae) in Laburnum anagyroides (Fabaceae, Genisteae)

The pre-dispersal seed predator, Bruchidius villosus (Coleoptera, Bruchidae) destroyed ca. 8% of seeds of its major host-plant, Laburnum anagyroides (Fabaceae, Genisteae), a tree-like legume, in Hungary. However, almost 40% of the pods were infested by the beetle. Females did not show a resource concentration response: with increasing number of seeds per pod, the number of uninfested seeds also increased. A high seed abortion rate of 75% left an average of two full-gown seeds per pod. Females laid three-four times more eggs on pods than the number of full-gown seeds present in a pod. Despite this, a high level (ca. 15%) of egg parasitism and pod abortion that reached levels up to 50% on pods which already bore bruchid eggs, decreased the infestation level. Larval parasitisation rate of B. villosus by chalcids and braconids exceeded 30%.