Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society (2003) 76, 442-446

Soledad C. Villamil, James R. Nechols and Sonny B. Ramaswamy (2003)
The effect of pre-adult and adult temperatures on oocyte development of the field bindweed moth, Tyta luctuosa (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 76 (3), 442-446
Abstract: We evaluated the influence of pupal and adult temperatures on oocyte development in the noctuid moth, Tyta luctuosa (Denis and Shiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), an imported biological control agent of field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) (Convolvulaceae). Temperature influenced oocyte development in adults but not pupae regardless of whether both life stages were reared at a constant temperature (20 or 27.5°C) or transferred to the higher or lower temperature at emergence. However, the pre-adult temperature experience had an indirect effect on ovarian development. Specifically, oocytes developed and matured faster in moths that experienced an increase in temperature at emergence (20 -> 27.5°C) than those that were reared continually at 27.5°C. Our findings do not support the idea that temperature is related to differences in ovarian development in T. luctuosa at emergence. Thus, it is possible that the range of maturation is linked to genetic variation or other environmental factors in this moth species.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Sonny B. Ramaswamy

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Convolvulus arvensis (weed)
Tyta luctuosa (weed bioagent)	Convolvulus arvensis (weed)