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Background  The host specificity and host range of the dry bean beetle,  Acanthoscelides obtectus  (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae), a seed predator of beans, is poorly known. In addition, the female oviposition preference and larval performance relationship is complicated by the respective importance of seed coat and cotyledon, because, paradoxically, females lay eggs on the basis of stimuli of the seed coat alone, without directly being able to assess the quality of the cotyledon’s suitability for larval development. Conversely, the thickness of seed coat may prevent first instar larvae from entering the seeds, even if cotyledons are suitable for development.    Methods  The seeds of 62 leguminous species and 75 cultivars and accessions occurring in Hungary were evaluated for preference-performance relations. The preference of female bean beetles for seeds was measured in no-choice egg-laying tests. The ability of first instar larvae to overcome the seed coat as a physical barrier was tested with intact seed coat, while pre-drilled seed coats allowed the larvae to assess the suitability of cotyledon for development. The number of emerging adults was recorded. The thickness of seed coats and the weight of seeds were measured. Nonparametric tests and logistic regression were used for the statistical analyses of data and effect sizes were also calculated.    Results  Seeds of 18 leguminous species (35% of them  Lathyrus ) supported larval development to adults if the seed coat was pre-drilled; however, only nine leguminous species supported development to adults if the seed coat was intact. Seed coat thickness beyond a critical threshold of 0.1 mm strongly influenced survival of first instar larvae. There was no overall positive correlation between oviposition preference and larval performance, except for 16 so-called acceptable non-hosts (Kendall’s τ = 0.3088).  A. obtectus  females also showed an ovipositional hierarchy of legume species even in no-choice tests.    Conclusions  The results suggest that whereas the use of some acceptable non-host species by the  A. obtectus  is possible in seed stores, the same is unlikely under outdoor conditions, where the recognition of a diverse set of seed pod-related compounds would be necessary to induce egg-laying.    Supplementary Information  The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-021-01892-9.

bmc ecology and evolution

How the seed coat affects the mother’s oviposition preference and larval performance in the bean beetle (Acanthoscelides obtectus, Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) in leguminous species