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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #87737
Title: RADIATION INDUCED F1 STERILITY OF PINK BOLLWORM PECTINOPHORA GOSSYPIELLA (SAUNDERS)(LEPIDOPTERA: GELECHIIDAE) AND F1 LARVAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ENTOMOPATHOGENIC NEMATODES (RHABDITIDA: STEINERNEMATIDAE, HETEROR.).

Author
item Gouge, Dawn
item Lee, Linda
item Bartlett, Alan
item Henneberry, Thomas

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: We studied the interactions between offspring of pink bollworm (PBW) moths irradiated in the pupal stage and insect parasitic nematodes. PBW pupae were exposed to a range of substerilizing radiation doses irradiated using a 60Co source. The offspring larvae were tested in a sand bioassay for susceptibility to Steinernema riobravis, S. carpocapsae and 2 strains of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. Increasing parental radiation dose increase larval offspring, susceptibility to S. riobravis and H. bacteriophora, but decreased susceptibility to S. carpocapsae. This difference in susceptibility may be due to the sedentary nature of larvae from parents receiving higher levels of irradiation, combined with the passive ambush tactics used by S. carpocapsae to acquire an insect host. The need to sustain the larval population of pink bollworm for sterility promotion and subsequent population collapse suggests S. carpocapsae to be an ideal entomopathogenic nematode to be used in conjunction with inherited sterility control methods.

Technical Abstract: We studied the interactions between F1 progeny of pink bollworm (PBW) moths irradiated in the pupal stage and entomopathogenic nematodes. PBW pupae were exposed to a range of substerilizing radiation doses irradiated using a 60Co source. The F1 larvae were tested in a sand bioassay for susceptibility to Steinernema riobravis Cabanillas, Poinar and Raulston, S. .carpocapsae (Weiser) and two strains of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Poinar). Increasing parental radiation dose increased F1 larval susceptibility to S. riobravis and H. bacteriophora, but decreased susceptibility to S. carpocapsae. This difference in susceptibility may be due to the sedentary nature of larvae from parents receiving higher levels of irradiation, combined with the passive ambush tactics used by S. carpocapsae to acquire an insect host. The need to sustain the F1 population of PBW for sterility promotion and subsequent population collapse suggests S. carpocapsae to be an ideal entomopathogenic nematode to be used in conjunction with inherited sterility control methods.