What feeding style do adult Christmas beetles exhibit when consuming foliage, especially on eucalypt leaves?
Answer
Skeletonization, where only the soft tissue between leaf veins is consumed.
Adult Christmas beetles demonstrate a specific feeding pattern when consuming foliage, particularly the leaves of native trees such as eucalypts. This process is known as skeletonization. During skeletonization, the beetles consume the softer material located between the main structural veins of the leaf. This leaves behind the tougher vascular network, resulting in a leaf structure that appears lacy and translucent. While minor feeding is negligible, large swarms, especially during peak emergence years, can strip trees bare through this repeated action, causing severe defoliation.
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