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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #185348
Title: MOBILITY OF MASS-REARED DIAPAUSED AND NON-DIAPAUSED CYDIA POMONELLA (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE): EFFECT OF DIFFERENT CONSTANT TEMPERATURES AND LENGTHS OF COLD STORAGE

Author
item BLOEM, STEPHANIE - RALEIGH, NC
item Carpenter, James
item DORN, SILVIA - ZURICH, SWITZERLAND

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/22/2005
Publication Date: 6/1/2006
Citation: Bloem, S., Carpenter, J.E., Dorn, S. 2006. Mobility of mass-reared diapaused and nondiapaused Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): Effect of different constant temperatures and lengths of cold storage. Journal of Economic Entomology. 99(3):707-713.

Interpretive Summary: The quality of mass-reared insects is very important to a control program that uses the sterile technique. Because mass-reared insects may differ in their behavioral traits depending on whether or not they have undergone diapause, we studied the mobility of mass-reared diapaused and non-diapaused codling moths to understand the effect that different constant temperatures and lengths of cold storage may have on these insects. Actograph-measured mobility was assessed one gender at a time for 24 hours during which the photoperiod transitioned from day to night. We found that adult mobility was significantly higher for both males and females at 25ºC and 20ºC than at 15ºC. There were no significant differences in mobility in moths reared through diapause or non-diapaused production protocols. Moths exposed to lower temperatures shifted their activity pattern from evening to mid-afternoon which may be an adaptive behavior to take advantage of the expected warmest period of the day. Diapaused adults were significantly less mobile when stored in the cold (24, 48 or 72 hours of storage at 2°C) than were diapaused adults that did not experience cold storage (0 h). However, length of time in cold storage did not significantly influence the mobility of adult codling moths reared through standard production protocols.

Technical Abstract: Desirable behavioral attributes in mass reared insects should include the ability to perform favorably under the various environmental conditions they encounter upon release in the field. Insect quality also may be influenced by storage conditions and storage duration prior to field release. We studied the effects of three different constant ambient temperatures (15°C, 20°C, and 25°C) and different lengths of adult cold storage (0, 24, 48 or 72 hours at 2°C) on the locomotor activity of adult Cydia pomonella (L.) mass-reared through diapause or standard production protocols. Mobility was assessed in actographs housed in a climate controlled chamber and tests lasted 24 hours. We found that adult mobility was significantly higher for both males and females at 25ºC and 20ºC than at 15ºC. There were no significant differences in mobility in moths reared through diapause or non-diapaused production protocols. In addition, temporal analysis of the data revealed a significant shift in the diel patterns of activity for both genders when adults were tested at the three different temperatures. Moths exposed to the lower temperature shifted their activity pattern from evening to mid-afternoon which may be an adaptive behavior to take advantage of the expected warmest period of the day. Diapaused adults were significantly less mobile when stored in the cold (24, 48 or 72 hours of storage at 2°C) than were diapaused adults that did not experience cold storage (0 h). However, length of time in cold storage did not significantly influence the mobility of adult codling moths reared through standard production protocols.