Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T06:34:22.793Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Studies on the intraspecific larval interaction in a laboratory culture of Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on two food media

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

George N. Mbata
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, Imo State University, PMB 2000, Okigwe, Nigeria
Get access

Abstract

Laboratory studies were carried out to determine the effect of high larval densities of Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) on the development and survival of the moth in two food media. Mortality was found to be higher when reared on groundnuts than on artificial diet. Mortality was between 6.6 and 13.3% when larval densities were below five larvae on 3 g of both groundnuts and the artificial diet in 75 × 25 mm tubes. At higher larval densities (10 or more larvae on 3 g of medium) mortality ranged from 22.5 to 60% on the artificial diet, and on groundnuts it was between 30 and 65%. In both media, development period was prolonged and weights of moths at emergence was lower when larval densities were greater than 10 per tube.

When high densities were experienced between the first and the fourth instars individuals had protracted development, high mortality at larval stage and reduced weights of emerged adults and those subjected to high densities only at the final instars were less significantly affected. It seems that the fourth larval instar is the stage most sensitive to high densities.

Résumé

Des études de laboratoire ont été faites pour déterminer l'effet de la concentration intraspécifique larvaire de Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) sur le développement et la survie du lépidoptère dans deux aliments. La mortalité s'est montrée plus élevée dans des arachides que dans une culture lépidoptère. La mortalité était entre 6,6 pour cent et 13,3 pour cent quand la densité larvaire était au-dessous de 5 larves par 3 g d'arachides ou de culture lépidoptère préparée dans des tubes de 75 mm × 25 mm. Avec des densités plus élevées (10 et au-dessus de 10 par 3 g de culture), la mortalité se situait entre 22, 5 pour cent et 60 pour cent pour la culture lépidoptére, et entre 30 pour cent et 65 pour cent pour les arachides. Dans les deux cultures, la période de développement était allongée et le poids des lépidoptères à l'émergence décroissait quand les densités larvaires étaient au-dessus de 10 per tube.

Les larves soumises à la concentration entre le 1er et le 4ème instars ont manifesté un développement prolongé, une mortalité larvaire plus élevée et des poids d'adultes émergents réduits, alors que les larves soumises à la concentration seulement aux derniers instars étaient moins affectées. Il semble que le 4éme instar soit le plus sensible à la concentration.

Type
Research Articles
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bell, C. H. (1976a) Effect of cultural factors on the development of four stored-product moths. J. Stored Prod. Res. 12, 185193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bell, C. H. (1976b) Factors governing the induction of diapause in Ephestia cautella and Plodia interpunctelia (Lep., Pyralidae). Physiol. Entomol. 1, 8391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burges, H. D. and Haskins, K. P. F. (1965) Life cycle of the tropical warehouse moth, Cadra cautella (Wlk), at controlled temperatures and humidities. Bull, entomol. Res. 55, 775789. (1987).Google Scholar
Mbata, G. N. (1987) Studies on induction of larval diapause in a Nigerian strain of Plodia interpunctelia (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Insect Sci. Applic. 8, 317322.Google Scholar
Mbata, G. N. and Osuji, F. N. C. (1983) Some aspects of the biology oí Plodia interpunctelia (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a pest of stored groundnuts in Nigeria. J. Stored Prod. Res. 19, 141151.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phipps, J. (1965) Observations on Zonocerus variegatus (Linn.), (Orthoptera) in Sierra Leone. Proc. XII Int. Congr.Entomol.London, pp. 3032.Google Scholar
Podoler, H. (1974) Effect of intraspecific competition in the Indian-meal moth (Plodia interpunctelia Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae) and its parasite Nemeritus canescens (Gravenhorst) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). J. Anim. Ecol. 43, 641651.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, S. D. (1969) The effects of crowding on larvae of the meal moth Ephestia kuehniella. J. Exp. Zool. 170, 193203.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Takahashi, F. (1953) On the action of population density in the population fluctuation of the flour moth Ephestia cautella. Res. Popul. Ecol. Kyoto Univ. 2, 5564 (In Japanese with English summary).Google Scholar
Takahashi, F. (1956) On the effect of population density on the power of increase of the almond moth, Ephestia cautella. II. On the relations between the larval density and the duration of the post embryonic period, percentage survival and size of the moth. Jpn. J. Appl. Zool. 21, 179185. (In Japanese with English summary).Google Scholar
Takahashi, F. (1959a) On the effect of age distribution in a population upon its power of reproduction. On the effect of population density on the power of reproduction of the almond moth Ephestia cautella (5). Jpn. J. Ecol. 9, 101107.Google Scholar
Takahashi, F. (1959b) The changes of the interaction among larvae by the shape of their living space. The effect of population density on the power of reproduction of the almond moth Ephestia cautella (6). Jpn. J. Ecol. 9, 169172.Google Scholar
Tsuji, H. (1959) Studies on the diapause of the Indian-meal moth, Plodia interpunctelia (Hubner) II. The effect of population density on the induction of diapause. Jpn. J. Appl. Entomol. Zool. 3, 3440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar