Effects of soil moisture and texture on oviposition preference of the bean leaf beetle, Cerotoma trifurcata (Forster) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

To determine oviposition preference of the bean leaf beetle, 500 females were given a choice of three soils (sandy clay loam, loamy sand, and organic) at four soil moistures (oven dry, 1,000 mbar, 100 mbar, and saturation). Soil moisture was maintained during the 48-h oviposition period by rope wicks of different lengths. The beetles laid the most eggs in the organic soil, followed by the sandy clay loam, then the loamy sand. Wet and moist treatments were preferred to the dry treatments, with few eggs being laid in the oven-dried soil. Differences in oviposition are related to soil cloddiness, color, and water holding capacity.