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Title: Temperature-mediated development thresholds of Sparganothis sulfureana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in cranberries

Author
item DEUTSCH, ANNA - University Of Wisconsin
item RODRIGUEZ-SAONA, CESAR - Rutgers University
item Zalapa, Juan
item Steffan, Shawn

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/12/2014
Publication Date: 2/3/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/60652
Citation: Deutsch, A.E., Rodriguez-Saona, C.R., Zalapa, J.E., Steffan, S.A. 2015. Temperature-mediated development thresholds of Sparganothis sulfureana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in cranberries. Environmental Entomology. 44(2):400-405.

Interpretive Summary: Basic biology underlies the any predictive model of insect development. The work being submitted isolates the upper and lower development thresholds for a major pest of cranberries (Sparganothis sulfureana). Having such thresholds allows pest management professionals to calculate and accrue degree-days for the species. This information represents an empirical measurement of the development status of Sparganothis sulfureana. Impact Statement: Knowing the developmental status of an insect population in the field allows pest management professionals to assess the stage and densities of pests without exhaustive sampling of the crop. These are the types of technologies that shape how cranberries will be managed in the future.

Technical Abstract: Larvae of Sparganothis sulfureana Clemens, frequently attack cranberries, often resulting in economic damage to the crop. Because temperature dictates insect growth rate, development can be accurately estimated based on daily temperature measurements. To better predict S. sulfureana development across the growing season, we investigated the temperature range within which S. sulfureana larvae can feed and grow. Larvae were reared at 13 constant temperatures ranging from 6.5-38.6°C. Larval growth rate was determined by the rate of change of larval weight across time. The respective growth rates among these temperatures were modeled using a linear, cubic, and Lactin nonlinear development functions. These models isolated the lower temperature threshold at which growth became non-zero and the upper temperature at which growth was maximized. All three models were significantly predictive of S. sulfureana growth, but the cubic model best represented the observed growth rates, effectively isolating lower and upper thresholds of 9.97 and 29.89°C, respectively. We propose that these thresholds should be used to create a degree-day model of temperature-mediated S. sulfureana development.