Florida Entomologist (2014) 97, 1544-1553

Meng Sun, Xiao-Tian Tang, Ming-Xing Lu, Wei-Fei Yan and Yu-Zhou Du (2014)
Cold tolerance characteristics and overwintering strategy of Sesamia inferens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Florida Entomologist 97 (4), 1544-1553
Abstract: The pink rice stem borer, Sesamia inferens (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a major rice pest in China and elsewhere in Asia. While low winter temperatures are a major environmental constraint on the survival of most insect species, the mechanism of S. inferensÂ' cold tolerance in winter remains unknown. In this study, we elucidated the cold tolerance characteristics of S. inferens collected in the field from Oct 2012 to Apr 2013. The cold tolerance of overwintering larvae was found to vary significantly. Maximum S. inferens cold tolerance was observed in larvae collected on 30 Jan 2013. However, the SCP (supercooling points) of larvae did not vary insignificantly, with a mean of -6.80 °C. Before 9 Mar 2013, larval water content stabilized at the mean low level of 63.5 %, but subsequently rose significantly, to 75.2%. Low molecular weight sugars and polyols, closely related to freeze tolerance strategy, increased from low levels to their peaks in Jan (glycerol, 359.8 µg/g; trehalose, 20.5 mg/g; fructose, 69.8 µg/g; glucose, 377.3 µg/g; myo-inositol, 59.6 µg/g), after which levels declined. This study demonstrates that the Yangzhou population of S. inferens is freeze-tolerant.
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Database assignments for author(s): Yu-Zhou Du

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation
population dynamics/ epidemiology

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Sesamia inferens	Rice (Oryza)	China (NE)