Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #162378
Title: EFFECT OF REARING STRATEGY AND GAMMA RADIATION ON FIELD COMPETITIVENESS OF MASS-REARED CODLING MOTHS (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE)

Author
item BLOEM, STEPHANIE - FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY
item Carpenter, James
item BLOEM, KENNETH A. - APHIS-PPQ-CPHST
item TOMLIN, LORNE - OKANAGAN-KOOTENAY SIRP
item TAGGART, SHANNON - OKANAGAN-KOOTENAY SIRP

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/13/2004
Publication Date: 12/1/2004
Citation: Bloem, S., Carpenter, J. E., Bloem, K. A., Tomlin, L., Taggart, S. 2004. Effect of rearing strategy and gamma radiation on field competitiveness of mass-reared codling moths (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Journal of Economic Entomology. 97(6):1891-1898.

Interpretive Summary: In an effort to improve the performance of mass-reared moths to be used in a sterile insect technique program, we compared the field competitiveness of sterile codling moth males, Cydia pomonella (L.), mass-reared through diapause or standard production protocols and treated with either 150Gy or 250Gy of gamma radiation. Evaluations were performed during spring and summer of 2003 using field release-recapture tests. Field performance of released males was significantly improved by rearing through diapause and by lowering the dose of radiation used to treat the insects. These effects were observed during spring when evening temperatures were relatively cool and in summer when evening temperatures were high. The effect of rearing strategy on male performance was observed immediately following release, while the effect of dose of radiation was usually delayed by 2-3 days. In general, the best treatment for improving codling moth male field performance was a combination of rearing through diapause and using a low dose of radiation (150Gy). The difference in performance when insects were treated with 150 or 250Gy was greater when males had been reared using standard (non-diapause) rearing protocols, suggesting that diapause rearing may attenuate some of the negative effects of the higher doses of radiation.

Technical Abstract: We compared the field competitiveness of sterile codling moth males, Cydia pomonella (L.), mass-reared through diapause or standard production protocols and treated with either 150Gy or 250Gy of gamma radiation. Evaluations were performed during spring and summer of 2003 using field release-recapture tests. Released males were recaptured using traps baited with synthetic pheromone or with virgin females. In addition, mating tables baited with virgin females were used in the summer to assess the mating competitiveness of the released moths. Field performance of released males was significantly improved by rearing through diapause and by lowering the dose of radiation used to treat the insects. These effects were observed during spring when evening temperatures were relatively cool and in summer when evening temperatures were high. These effects were observed regardless of the sampling method (i.e. capture in pheromone-baited traps, virgin female-baited traps or in mating tables). There were significant interactions between larval rearing strategy and radiation dose with respect to day of recapture. The effect of rearing strategy on male performance was observed immediately following release, while the effect of dose of radiation was usually delayed by 2-3 days. In general, the best treatment for improving codling moth male field performance was a combination of rearing through diapause and using a low dose of radiation (150Gy). The difference in performance when insects were treated with 150 or 250Gy was greater when males had been reared using standard (non-diapause) rearing protocols, suggesting that diapause rearing may attenuate some of the negative effects of the higher doses of radiation.