Factors Influencing Suitability of Elms for Elm Leaf Beetle, Xanthogaleruca luteola (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Abstract

Suitability of elm varieties for Xanthogaleruca luteola (Muller), the elm leaf beetle, was determined in a series of experiments. Suitability of elms was based on pupal weight, developmental time to the pupal stage, preoviposition period, and fecundity. Foliage from Ulmus pumila L., U. wilsoniana Schneid. , U. americana L., U. parvifolia Jacq., and ‘Urban’ elm, a vegetatively propagated elm hybrid, was used for interspecific comparisons. U. pumila was the most suitable host. U. parvifolia was the least suitable. Differences were also found in U. pumila and ‘Urban’ elm grown in separate locations. ‘Urban’ elms grown under different fertilization and watering regimes showed differences in suitability for both larval and adult X. luteola. The differences were due to the interaction of leaf water content (%) and leaf protein content (mg/g of dry leaf).