View source for Florida Entomologist (2016) 99, 131-137

{{Publication
|Publication authors=Robert L. Brown, Mailee Stanbury, [[Ashraf M. El-Sayed]], John Laban, Ruth Butler and [[David Maxwell Suckling|David M. Suckling]]
|Author Page=David Maxwell Suckling, Ashraf M. El-Sayed
|Publication date=2016
|dc:title=Locomotion activity meter for quality assessment of mass-reared sterile male moths (Lepidoptera)
|Publication journal=Florida Entomologist
|prism:volume=99 (sp1)
|prism:startingPage=131
|Last page=137
|External link=http://dx.doi.org/10.1653/024.099.sp116
|Publication abstract=Irradiation is used to provide sterile insects from mass-rearing facilities, but irradiation can degrade insect quality. A system is described that uses repeatable pheromone stimuli to activate male moths housed with clean airflow in a commercially available insect activity meter, for potential use in quality assessment of mass-reared moths in sterile insect programs. We tested sexually mature wild and sterile light brown apple moth (LBAM), ''Epiphyas postvittana'' (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), males at the commencement of scotophase in a simple assay for increased mate-seeking activity after a 2 s stimulus with a 4-component synthetic pheromone source for 2 s, after a 5 s baseline of activity. Male activity at the upwind end of the glass tube was assessed by infrared beam. Next, we tested if a temperature shock at 30 °C in the pupal stage for various durations (0, 1, 2 or 4 h) would have an effect on male moth response to the sex pheromone. The results indicated similar baseline activity in clean airflow, but a significantly greater response after pheromone stimulation from non-irradiated males, compared with irradiated males. Responses from irradiated males averaged 78% of the control response (''n'' = 320). The temperature shock did not appear to change the response of the non-irradiated moths (''n'' = 64), but there was a slight decline in response by irradiated moths at the 2 and 4 h temperature shock durations. The system could be readily modified to be suitable for factory scale quality assurance.
|AbstractCC=Yes
|Research topic=control - general
|Research2P=rearing/culturing/mass production
|Is book=No
|SelArticle=3
|Image=Epiphyas postvittana.jpg
}}
{{Pest record
|Pest=Epiphyas postvittana
|Quarantined=No
}}