The biology of Palexorista laxa (Curran) (Diptera : Tachinidae) : an internal larval parasitoid of Heliothis armigera (Hübner) Lepidoptera : Noctuidae)
- Authors: Van Heerden, Desireé
- Date: 1993
- Subjects: Tachinidae , Helicoverpa armigera -- Parasites -- Life cycles , Noctuidae
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5650 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005332 , Tachinidae , Helicoverpa armigera -- Parasites -- Life cycles , Noctuidae
- Description: The Tachinid fly, Palexorista laxa (Curran) is an important parasitoid of Heliothis armigera (Hubner) in Africa and India. The biological characteristics of the parasitoid were studied with an emphasis on its host instar preference, host range, seasonality and percentage parasitism. The developmental stages were also studied and described. A high host mortality (48%-100%) due to parasite attack occurred when small larvae were parasitised (2nd & 3rd instars). A preference for the 4th and 5th host instars was shown by the flies. P. laxa was found to be a non-specific parasitoid and parasitised a number of lepidopterous larvae in the laboratory including Busseola fusca (Fuller), Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and Eldana saccharina Walker, but preferred Ii. armigera. The percentage parasitism on H. armigera in the field was variable peaking at 48% in 1988/89. Of the various parasitoids recorded from H. armigera on sunflower P. laxa was by far the most abundant. Mating occurred immediately after emergence with the males emerging a day earlier than the females. Males were capable of multiple matings whereas females mated only once in a lifetime. P. laxa females produced incubated macrotype eggs which hatched almost immediately after oviposition. The duration of development of the incubated egg and larval stage was 6,7 days, the pupa 10,4 days for females and 9,4 days for males, and the adult lived up to 50 days at 25°C. A reduction in pupal weight, an increase in the duration of the pupal stage and higher pupal mortality accompanied an increase in density of parasitoids per host. A linear relationship was shown between adult mass and number of ovarioles and eggs in P. laxa females. The oviposition period was 26,9 days with a high variation in daily progeny production. The total fertility per female was 126,3 puparia. "Inexperienced" females deposited incubated eggs on all parts of the host body while "experienced" females confined oviposition to the head and thorax. P. laxa females did not discriminate between previously parasitised and non-parasitised hosts. The effect of temperature on larval and pupal survival and development time was studied at 20°, 22°, 25°, 28°and 30°C. As expected, duration of development decreased with an increase in temperature, and there was a reduction in mortality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1993
- Authors: Van Heerden, Desireé
- Date: 1993
- Subjects: Tachinidae , Helicoverpa armigera -- Parasites -- Life cycles , Noctuidae
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5650 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005332 , Tachinidae , Helicoverpa armigera -- Parasites -- Life cycles , Noctuidae
- Description: The Tachinid fly, Palexorista laxa (Curran) is an important parasitoid of Heliothis armigera (Hubner) in Africa and India. The biological characteristics of the parasitoid were studied with an emphasis on its host instar preference, host range, seasonality and percentage parasitism. The developmental stages were also studied and described. A high host mortality (48%-100%) due to parasite attack occurred when small larvae were parasitised (2nd & 3rd instars). A preference for the 4th and 5th host instars was shown by the flies. P. laxa was found to be a non-specific parasitoid and parasitised a number of lepidopterous larvae in the laboratory including Busseola fusca (Fuller), Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) and Eldana saccharina Walker, but preferred Ii. armigera. The percentage parasitism on H. armigera in the field was variable peaking at 48% in 1988/89. Of the various parasitoids recorded from H. armigera on sunflower P. laxa was by far the most abundant. Mating occurred immediately after emergence with the males emerging a day earlier than the females. Males were capable of multiple matings whereas females mated only once in a lifetime. P. laxa females produced incubated macrotype eggs which hatched almost immediately after oviposition. The duration of development of the incubated egg and larval stage was 6,7 days, the pupa 10,4 days for females and 9,4 days for males, and the adult lived up to 50 days at 25°C. A reduction in pupal weight, an increase in the duration of the pupal stage and higher pupal mortality accompanied an increase in density of parasitoids per host. A linear relationship was shown between adult mass and number of ovarioles and eggs in P. laxa females. The oviposition period was 26,9 days with a high variation in daily progeny production. The total fertility per female was 126,3 puparia. "Inexperienced" females deposited incubated eggs on all parts of the host body while "experienced" females confined oviposition to the head and thorax. P. laxa females did not discriminate between previously parasitised and non-parasitised hosts. The effect of temperature on larval and pupal survival and development time was studied at 20°, 22°, 25°, 28°and 30°C. As expected, duration of development decreased with an increase in temperature, and there was a reduction in mortality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1993
Feeding by larvae of the American bollworm, Heliothis armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on cotton plants
- Van der Walt, Susanna Johanna
- Authors: Van der Walt, Susanna Johanna
- Date: 1988
- Subjects: Cotton -- Diseases and pests , Helicoverpa armigera , Lepidoptera
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5622 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004386 , Cotton -- Diseases and pests , Helicoverpa armigera , Lepidoptera
- Description: H. armigera larvae are a key stage for pest management in conmercial irrigated cotton crops in South Africa. Effective survey methods for detecting larval populations in the field require an understanding of the biology of the larvae, particularly their feeding habits. Their feeding is central to the development of pest threshold levels for the implementation of integrated control programmes. This applies to routine surveys for the larvae as well as to the damage they cause. Biological characteristics of the larvae are described with the emphasis on the identification of the larval instars, which were consistently five in number in both field and laboratory populations. The distribution of H. armigera larvae on cotton plants in the field was examined, but was found to more or less random; had there been a clear preference for any height zones or compass direction this would have been an obvious avenue for improving the survey methods currently in use. Details of field and laboratory investigations of the selection of feeding sites by the larvae are given. The study confirmed a clear preference by the larvae for cotton buds, flowers and bolls (in the thesis collectively called "fruiting forms"), over leaves. There were indications that the larvae selected flowers more readily than buds or bolls. This "preference", however, is shown to be of no practical value for refining survey methods. Damage levels to cotton due to B. armigera are discussed. Both direct losses and indirect losses due to the abortion of fruiting forms are considered. These criteria are inadequate since they do not take into account the ability of cotton plants to compensate for these losses. It is concluded that this compensation by cotton plants should be taken into account in further studies of the pest status of B. armigera.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1988
- Authors: Van der Walt, Susanna Johanna
- Date: 1988
- Subjects: Cotton -- Diseases and pests , Helicoverpa armigera , Lepidoptera
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5622 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004386 , Cotton -- Diseases and pests , Helicoverpa armigera , Lepidoptera
- Description: H. armigera larvae are a key stage for pest management in conmercial irrigated cotton crops in South Africa. Effective survey methods for detecting larval populations in the field require an understanding of the biology of the larvae, particularly their feeding habits. Their feeding is central to the development of pest threshold levels for the implementation of integrated control programmes. This applies to routine surveys for the larvae as well as to the damage they cause. Biological characteristics of the larvae are described with the emphasis on the identification of the larval instars, which were consistently five in number in both field and laboratory populations. The distribution of H. armigera larvae on cotton plants in the field was examined, but was found to more or less random; had there been a clear preference for any height zones or compass direction this would have been an obvious avenue for improving the survey methods currently in use. Details of field and laboratory investigations of the selection of feeding sites by the larvae are given. The study confirmed a clear preference by the larvae for cotton buds, flowers and bolls (in the thesis collectively called "fruiting forms"), over leaves. There were indications that the larvae selected flowers more readily than buds or bolls. This "preference", however, is shown to be of no practical value for refining survey methods. Damage levels to cotton due to B. armigera are discussed. Both direct losses and indirect losses due to the abortion of fruiting forms are considered. These criteria are inadequate since they do not take into account the ability of cotton plants to compensate for these losses. It is concluded that this compensation by cotton plants should be taken into account in further studies of the pest status of B. armigera.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1988
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