Effects of light-avoiding substrate on behavioral activities of Anomala corpulenta under yellow light irradiation

The scarab beetle Anomala corpulenta (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a major agricultural pest in northern China, and traditional chemical control poses ecological risks, necessitating the development of sustainable management strategies. In recent years, ultraviolet light trapping has emerged as a key green control measure for A. corpulenta, yet its potential ecological impacts require careful assessment. Targeting this pest's sensitivity to yellow light and its soil-dwelling behavior, this study investigated the behavioral regulation of A. corpulenta under short-term yellow light (550 nm) exposure combined with a light-avoidance substrate (soil). Experiments compared the effects of varying light intensities (20 lx, 40 lx and 60 lx) on feeding, mating and survival rates under two substrate conditions: presence or absence of soil. Key findings included: (1) Light-avoidance substrate significantly enhanced the inhibitory effect of yellow light on feeding. In sexually isolated groups, only high light intensities (40 lx and 60 lx) reduced feeding in substrate-free groups. In contrast, all light intensities significantly reduced feeding in groups with the light-avoidance substrate (P < 0.05), with females exhibiting a 95.13% reduction at 60 lx. Mixed-sex populations showed no significant feeding differences in substrate-free groups but displayed marked inhibition in substrate groups (P < 0.05). (2) Substrate presence critically amplified light-driven mating suppression, achieving a 90.64% inhibition rate (P < 0.05), while no significant suppression occurred in substrate-free groups. (3) In substrate-free groups, male survival under 60 lx was significantly reduced in sexually isolated populations (P < 0.05), while females survival remained unaffected. In mixed-sex groups without the substrate, males exhibited consistently lower survival than females across all light intensities (20 lx, 40 lx and 60 lx; P < 0.05). These results demonstrated that the interference effect of light-avoidance substrate significantly enhanced the disruptive effect of yellow light on the nocturnal behavioral activity of A. corpulenta, with males exhibited greater sensitivity to light exposure. This study highlighted the potential of integrating yellow light modulation with substrate-based behavioral manipulation as an eco-friendly pest control strategy, providing a theoretical foundation for a "light-substrate synergy" system, advancing green agricultural pest control.