Abstract
Abstract
Priobium carpini
(Herbst) is a species of wood-boring beetle. Although it is not commonly found in Japan, occasional cases of extensive infestation in wooden constructions have been reported. In this study, wood pieces containing larvae were subjected to intermittent X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans to observe larval movement and growth, as well as the processes of pupation and adult eclosion. Wood pieces, obtained from infested timbers of
Pinus parviflora
, were scanned at intervals of approximately 10 days for the observation of larval movement and approximately 5 days for the observation of pupation and adult eclosion. The larval and other stages of the beetle were visualized in the CT images. The larvae mainly moved about within the frass packed inside the wood pieces, without newly tunneling into the intact parts of wood. Based on 12 larvae, the average growth rate of body length during the observation period was estimated to be 0.57 mm/year. In winter, the larvae underwent quiescence when the surrounding temperature was approximately 10 °C or lower. The final instar larvae created pupal chambers beneath the wood surface, and they transformed into prepupae from late April to late May. The prepupal and pupal stages lasted 8 days (
n
= 13) and 20 days (
n
= 11) on average, respectively. Pupation occurred in May, adult eclosion from late May to late June, and adults exited the wood in June.