Changes in the Vertical Distribution of 3rd Instar Larvae of Dasylepida sp. (Coleoptera

Changes in the vertical distribution of 3rd instar larvae of Dasylepida sp. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) were investigated in the soil of a sugar cane field after harvest on Miyako Island, Okinawa, Japan in 1999. In the field survey performed in mid-February to mid-May, the mean number of 3rd instar larvae within 20 cm under the soil surface decreased gradually after late March. Although about 70% of the 3rd instar larvae were captured within 20 cm of soil on March 24, more than 70% of the 3rd instar larvae were found at deeper soil layers, 30-50 cm, in July and August. Developmental stages other than 3rd instar larve were not found in this study.