Sex determination of home invading nuisance beetles, Mesomorphus villiger Blanchard and Luprops tristis Fabricius (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) based on pupal morphology

Abstract

A methodology based on pupal morphology for sexing two darkling beetles, Mesomorphus villiger and Luprops tristis is described. With this methodology, sexing of teneral adults is possible and is safer than the crude sternal notch methodology that involves forceful extrusion of genitalia of adults which often lead to the death of beetles.