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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #191643
Title: VOLTINISM AND DIAPAUSE IN POPULATIONS OF APAGOMERELLA VERSICOLOR (COLEOPTERA: CERAMBYCIDAE) IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF ITS LATITUDINAL GRADIENT.

Author
item DANIEL, GANDOLFO - USDA/ARS/SABCL
item GUILLERMO, LOGARZO - USDA/ARS/SABCL

Submitted to: Argentina Entomological Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2005
Publication Date: 12/1/2005
Citation: Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argent. 64(3):68-71, 2005

Interpretive Summary: APAGOMERELLA VERSICOLOR IS A LONG HORN STEM-BORER BEETLE FROM ARGENTINA CANDIDATE FOR THE BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF COCKLEBUR. FOR ANY BIOLOGICAL CONTROL PROGRAM, IT IS IMPORTANT TO ESTABLISH THE NUMBER OF GENERATIONS PER YEAR (VOLTINISM) THAT A CANDIDATE CAN PERFORM. DURING THE STUDY OF THE BIOLOGY OF A. VERSICOLOR, WE OBSERVED DIFFERENCES IN THE WAY THAT THIS INSECT OVERWINTERED, SUGGESTING THAT IN SOME AREAS IT CAN PRODUCE MORE THAN ONE GENERATION PER YEAR. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ESTABLISH THE KIND OF VOLTINISM OF A. VERSICOLOR PRESENTED ALONG ITS LATITUDINAL DISTRIBUTION IN ARGENTINA. WE CONDUCTED TEMPERATURE EXPERIMENTS AND FIELD COLLECTIONS ALONG THE YEAR BETWEEN 25 DEGREES AND 32 DEGREES LS. WE FOUND EVIDENCE THAT A. VERSICOLOR HAS AT LEAST TWO GENERATIONS IN THE NORTH, AND ONE GENERATION IN THE SOUTH. IT SEEMS THAT THE HOST PLANT HAS SOME INFLUENCE IN THE KIND OF VOLTINISM.

Technical Abstract: APAGOMERELLA VERSICOLOR (BOHEMAN), A LONG HORN STEM-BORER BEETLE OF THE HOST GENERA PLUCHEA., XANTHIUM,.AND AMBROSIA (ASTERACEAE). IN ARGENTINA, IT OCCURS BETWEEN 25 DEGREES AND 39 DEGREES S. STUDIES CONDUCTED IN BUENOS AIRES (35 DEGREES S) INDICATED THAT A. VERSICOLOR IS UNIVOLTINE AND HAS A WINTER DIAPAUSE, AND ALSO INDICATE THAT DIAPAUSE LARVAE EXPOSED TO LOW TEMPERATURES BROKE THE DIAPAUSE. HOWEVER, SOME OBSERVATIONS SUGGESTED THAT POPULATIONS FROM NORTHERN ARGENTINA COULD BE BI OR MULTIVOLTINE AND DID NOT DIAPAUSE. THE VOLTINISM AND THE DIAPAUSE OF A. VERISCOLOR WERE STUDIED ALONG ITS LATITUDINAL DISTRIBUTION, BETWEEN 25 DEGREES AND 32 DEGREES S. WE CONDUCTED AN EXPERIMENT TO IDENTIFY DIAPAUSE PRESENCE; LARVAE COLLECTED AT DIFFERENT LATITUDES WERE SEPARATE IN TWO GROUPS, ON OF THEM WERE EXPOSED TO LOW TEMPERATURES TO BREAK THE DIAPAUSE, THE OTHER ONE WAS CONTROL. THOSE DIAPAUSING LARVAE THAT RECEIVED COLD TREATMENT SHOULD PUPATE IN A SHORTER TIME THAN THOSE THAT DID NOT RECEIVE IT. IN ADDITION, TEN COLLECTING TRIPS WERE MADE IN JANUARY, MARCH, JULY, AUGUST, OCTOBER AND DECEMBER IN DIFFERENCT YEARS IN THE STUDY AREA TO OBSERVE THE IMMATURE STAGES PRESENT IN ITS MAIN HOSTS, PLUCHEA SAGITTALIS CABR. AND XANTHIUM CAVANILLESII SCHOUW, AT DIFFERENT LATITUDES. EVIDENCE WAS FOUND THAT A VERSICOLOR IS AT LEAST BIVOLTINE BETWEEN 25 DEGREES AND 27 DEGREES S, AND IT DOES DIAPAUSE AT LATITUDES OVER 31 DEGREES S. THE INFLUENCE OF THE BIOLOGY OF THE HOST PLANTS ON VOLTINISM AND DIAPAUSE IS DISCUSSED HERE.