Abstract
Swelled seeds of summer cypress, Kochia scoparia, are edible and highly prized for “field caviare” in northern Japan. However, insect feeding on summer cypress has not been assessed yet. We surveyed the insect fauna of summer cypress on late September 2002, in Morioka City (39.7°K N, 141.2°K E). Six pest species, i. e., the sugarbeet leaf bug, Orthotylus (Melanotrichus) flavosparsus, the black aphid, Aphis rumicis, the beet webworm, Hymenia recurvalis, the mugwort looper, Ascotis selenaria, the Dewick's plusia, Macdunnoughia confusa, and the mulberry caterpillar, Sarcopolia illoba, were recorded. Among these species, H. recurvalis and S. illoba, both of which fed on the seeds vigorously, seemed to be the most important pest species.
