Life history and mating behavior of a black-bodied strain of the cigarette beetle Lasioderma serricorne (Coleoptera: Anobiidae)

Adults of the cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius), usually have brownish-red bodies. In this study, we selected for black body color and established a black body strain as a genetic marker. Subsequently, we conducted experimental crosses and discovered that the black body color was characterized by recessive inheritance. Moreover, we observed no difference between the mating behavior and life history of the black strain and normal beetles. On the basis of these results, our black strain could be a mutant in which only adult body color is genetically changed. Thus, our strain is thought to be a useful genetic marker to improve pest control methods for L. serricorne.