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Is it acceptable to use pinto or other beans for bean beetle cultures?

Thanks,
Mark

Markw Wrote:Is it acceptable to use pinto beans for bean beetle cultures?

Thanks,
Mark

Probably, but production would not be near as good as with Black Eyed peas.

from the "Bean Beetle handbook" :
http://www.beanbeetles.org/handbook/handbook.pdf

The ideal seeds (beans) to
use are mung (Vigna radiata = Phaseolus aureus),
blackeye peas or cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) and
adzuki (Vigna angularis). Although bean
beetles can be reared successfully on these three
species, they differ in nutrient quality (USDA
Agricultural Research Service) and secondary
compounds (Bisby et al. 1994). We find that raising
beetles on blackeye peas is best done in 150 mm
petri dishes, which minimizes mold growth on the
beans. The successful completion of the bean
beetle life cycle on most other bean species is
minimal (Janzen 1977).

Thank you!

Mark