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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Biological Control of Pests Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #343838
Research Project: Production and Deployment of Natural Enemies for Biological Control of Arthropod Pests

Location: Biological Control of Pests Research

Title: The reproductive morphology and physiological age grading of the female Salvinia Weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands

Author
item EISENBERG, LEE - Retired Non ARS Employee
item JOHNSON, SETH - Retired Non ARS Employee
item Grodowitz, Michael

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/13/2017
Publication Date: 1/15/2018
Citation: Eisenberg, L., Johnson, S., Grodowitz, M.J. 2018. The reproductive morphology and physiological age grading of the female Salvinia Weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands. Journal of Insect Science. 10:1-8. https://doi:10.1177/1179543317751909.

Interpretive Summary: This manuscript describes the female reproductive system morphology and development of a physiological age-grading system for Cyrtobagous salviniae based on changes in reproductive system appearance in relation to number of eggs produced. Cyrtobagous salviniae is an important biological control agent for the management of Salvinia molesta, a floating fern that causes manifold problems throughout the world.

Technical Abstract: The morphology of female Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands reproductive system is similar to other weevil species being meroistic and telotrophic and composed of two ovaries each with two tube-like ovarioles where the follicles develop and mature. A physiological age-grading system was developed where the continuum of ovarium development was divided into two nulliparous classes (N1 and N2) and three parous classes (P1, P2, and P3) mainly based on degree of differentiation of the ovarioles, presence and appearance of follicular relics, cuticle hardness and coloration, and fat body quantity and appearance. High correlation occurred between the parous classes and number of eggs produced where the P3 class had over 9-fold higher number of eggs produced in comparison to the P1 class. Mean number of eggs produced for each parous class were significantly different, however, overlap in eggs produced does occur between the parous classes.