Leaf beetles Gastrophysa viridula have attracted recently increased research interest from various points of view, since they are： （i） pest insects in rhubarb crops; （ii） potential biocontrol agents of dock plant...Leaf beetles Gastrophysa viridula have attracted recently increased research interest from various points of view, since they are： （i） pest insects in rhubarb crops; （ii） potential biocontrol agents of dock plants Rumex spp. in grasslands; and （iii） a model species in ecological studies on insect population dynamics, biochemistry, behavior, biomechanics and biomimetics. The continuous rearing of beetles at standardized conditions may help to unify the fitness state of different individuals, allowing a better comparison of experimental results. The present communication suggests a modular space- and time-saving rearing method ofG. viridula in stackable faunariums under laboratory conditions, which has been successfully established and continuously used over the last 5 years. Several developmental stages were kept in separate boxes, and multiple generations were kept simultaneously, depending on the required number of beetles.展开更多
文摘Leaf beetles Gastrophysa viridula have attracted recently increased research interest from various points of view, since they are： （i） pest insects in rhubarb crops; （ii） potential biocontrol agents of dock plants Rumex spp. in grasslands; and （iii） a model species in ecological studies on insect population dynamics, biochemistry, behavior, biomechanics and biomimetics. The continuous rearing of beetles at standardized conditions may help to unify the fitness state of different individuals, allowing a better comparison of experimental results. The present communication suggests a modular space- and time-saving rearing method ofG. viridula in stackable faunariums under laboratory conditions, which has been successfully established and continuously used over the last 5 years. Several developmental stages were kept in separate boxes, and multiple generations were kept simultaneously, depending on the required number of beetles.
