Chinese Journal of Entomology (1998) 18, 27-37
Chyi-Chen Ho and Wen-Hua Chen (1998)
[Life history, food consumption, and seasonal occurrence of Feltiella minuta (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on eggplant]
Chinese Journal of Entomology 18 (1), 27-37
Abstract: Feltiella minuta (Felt) oviposits on hairs on the back of eggplant leaf. The larva feeds on spider mites, and pupates in a loosely spun cocoon, usually along the leafvein, often at the intersection of 2 veins. The lengths of egg, mature larva, pupa, and cocoon averaged 0.22 mm, 1.42 mm, 1.08 mm, and 1.50 mm; respectively. Reared in an incubator at 15, 20, 25, 28, and 30°C, with a photoperiod of 13: 11 (L: D), and fed with eggs of Tetranychus kanzawai Kishida, the developmental period, from egg to adult, averaged 32.9, 15.1, 10.1, 9.0, 9.5d for female flies, and 32.8, 15.3, 10.3, 9.0, 9.2 d for male flies, respectively. This midge developed uniformly. Eggs deposited on the same day emerged to adult almost on the same date. The egg and pupal stages occupied a larger proportion of the whole developmental period at lower temperatures. The adult life span was short, usually less than 5d. Fed with diluted honey, an adult female laid 7.8, 17.2, 13.2, 16.3, and 11.2 eggs at the respective temperatures. Larvae could feed on any stage of the spider mite. The feeding amount increased sharply as age increased. Each female larva consumed 195.3, 187.5, 167.6, 165.0, and 142.5 spider mite eggs, while each male larva consumed 173.7, 153.6, 132.0, 140.7, and 122.1 spider mite eggs, at he respective temperatures. Daily consumption increased as temperature increased. At 28°C, its feeding amount was less than that of Oligota flavicornis Boisduval and Larcodaire, but greater than that of Amblyseius womersleyi Schicha. Weekly surveys made consecutively for 4 yr in eggplant fields which received no acaricide or insecticide application showed this midges always occurred and fluctuated after the spider mite population. It regulated the spider mite population together with O. flavicornis, Scolothrips indicus Priesner, and A. womersleyi. The conservation of this midge should be included in the IPM system.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
(original language: Chinese)
Database assignments for author(s): Chyi-Chen Ho, Wen Hua Chen
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
surveys/distribution/isolation
