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Title: COLORADO POTATO BEETLE SURVIVAL AND FECUNDITY AFTER SHORT AND LONG-TERM REARING ON ARTIFICIAL DIETS

Author
item Thorpe, Kevin
item Bennett, Robert

Submitted to: Journal of Entomological Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/14/2002
Publication Date: 1/1/2003
Citation: Thorpe, K.W., Bennett, R.L. 2003. Colorado potato beetle survival and fecundity after short and long-term rearing on artificial diets. Journal of Entomological Science.

Interpretive Summary: The Colorado potato beetle (CPB) is one of the most important pests of potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant in North America and Europe. There is a need for the development of effective pest management programs for this pest. A continuous supply of reared insects is needed for laboratory and out-of-season research efforts, for screening candidate chemical and microbial control agents, and as hosts for the production of natural enemies. Currently, most CPBs are reared on foliage from host plants grown in a greenhouse. Previous work at USDA led to the development of several artificial diets which could reduce rearing expenses and labor and could eliminate the need for a greenhouse. This paper presents the results of a study of the effects of three artificial diets on the quality of reared CPB. No consistent, negative effects of the artificial diets on CPB survival or fecundity were found. These results suggest that CPB reared on nartificial diets can be used in subsequent tests on foliage without significant carryover effects from these diets. The information from this study will assist insect rearing facilities and researchers determine if and how artificial diets can best be used in their CPB research and development programs. The use of artificial diets should result in more cost-effective CPB rearing operations.

Technical Abstract: Survival, fecundity, and development time of Colorado potato beetles (CPB) reared for a single generation or multiple generations (7-9) on one of three artificial diets or potato foliage and then switched back to potato foliage were measured. The objective of the study was to simulate the use of diet-reared insects in experiments on potted or field-grown plants in the laboratory or field. There were no consistent differences in any of these variables among the diets regardless of whether the insects had been reared for one or many generations on artificial diets. Adult survival was about 80% at 10 weeks after eclosion and less than 10% after 30 weeks. Females produced an average of 146 eggs by week five and 315 eggs by week 16 after being reared for single and many generations, respectively, on artificial diets. Egg hatch rates ranged from 81% at week three, to 14% on week 15, resulting in an average larval production of 145 and 216 by week 16 for females reared for single and many generations, respectively, on artificial diets. These results suggest that CPB reared on the artificial diets tested in this study can be used in subsequent tests on foliage without significant carryover effects from either short or long-term rearing on these diets.