Colaphellus bowringi

Colaphellus bowringi (also known as the cabbage beetle and the large cabbage beetle) is a species of leaf beetle. It was first characterized by English entomologist Joseph Sugar Baly in 1865 and is primarily found in southeastern China, as well as other areas of Asia.

The cabbage beetle consumes cruciferous vegetables commonly eaten by humans. For this reason, it is a pest and finding sustainable insecticides against it is a subject of ongoing research. It goes through egg, larval, pupal, and adult stages where temperature and geographic location impact development. As an adult, C. bowringi can be active and receptive to reproduction, or in diapause. Ovary development and oviposition are highly regulated by signaling pathways, such as the Mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.

C. bowringi is often studied for its highly specific mating behavior. Males and females are sexually dimorphic (most notably in body weight) and copulate around five times in an average day of mating. Their mate choice is influenced by age and geographic origin of potential mates. Mating duration has been found to vary depending on the time of day, whether partners have previously mated with each other, whether the female has previously mated at all, density of males in the mating population, temperature, and geographical location. In addition, there is evidence for assortative mating and some incompatible mating between populations of C. bowringi from different locations.