Kauaʻi record · KCA-IA-00145
Phenolia attenuata
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About Phenolia attenuata
Phenolia attenuata is a member of Nitidulidae in the order Coleoptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced.
Phenolia attenuata is an introduced sap beetle documented from Kauaʻi, including a historical Princeville specimen taken at light. Hawaiian records also associate the species with rotting fruit, consistent with the sap-beetle habit of using fermenting or decomposing plant material. The exact larval substrates and abundance on Kauaʻi remain poorly documented, so host claims should stay tied to observations rather than inferred broadly.
Kauaʻi occurrence evidence: Matsunaga, Howarth & Kumashiro (2019) Table 1 includes Kauaʻi island code 'Ka'; first-detection year shown as 1998; reported island distribution: Ka, Oa.
The cited occurrence evidence does not by itself establish current abundance or population trend on Kauaʻi.
Life cycle
Complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult. Accessible Hawaiʻi sources document adults at lights and rotting fruit; species-specific Kauaʻi developmental timing is not publicly resolved.
Habitat
Disturbed and residential landscapes where fermenting fruit or other decomposing plant material is available; adults may come to lights.
Food and ecological role
Associated with rotting or fermenting fruit in Hawaiʻi; sap beetles generally exploit decomposing plant substrates and associated microbes.
Reproduction
Oviparous beetle; exact Kauaʻi oviposition substrate and generation time remain unresolved.
Movement
Adults fly readily and can be attracted to fermenting odors and lights.
Ecosystem role
Introduced decomposer-associated beetle; may participate in breakdown of damaged fruit and other organic material.
Threats and impacts
No major Kauaʻi impact is established in the public sources used here; potential nuisance or produce contamination is more defensible than a claim of serious crop damage.
Monitoring
Document substrate, fruit/plant association, and life stage when encountered; retain voucher records because sap-beetle identifications can be difficult.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Phenolia attenuata
- Family
- Nitidulidae
- Order
- Coleoptera
- Record type
- species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Present
- Origin
- Introduced
- Conservation status
- Not assessed
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal description
- Phenolia attenuata is a member of Nitidulidae in the order Coleoptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced.