Effects of adult diet on the longevity, fecundity and ovarian development of the rice leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis

Abstract

Rice leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) is an important migratory pest in Asia. While many lepidopteran species are known to enhance adult life history by obtaining supplementary nutrition, little is known about the effects of adult diet on C. medinalis. We first examined the effects of offering five dilutions of honey solution (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) on the longevity, fecundity and ovary development of adult C. medinalis. We then compared the effects of 10% honey solution to 25% glucose solution, which was previously reported to be the best adult diet for C. medinalis. We found that adult male and female C. medinalis fed 5%–20% honey solution lived significantly longer than those fed just water. Importantly, a honey–based diet accelerated and increased ovary development and prolonged the oviposition period, leading to higher fecundity. More specifically, females fed 5%–15% honey solution had the highest fecundity, followed by 20% honey solution, and the lowest when fed only water. In addition, the oviposition rate was 100% in females fed 10% and 15% honey solution. When we compared 10% honey solution to 25% glucose solution, those fed honey solution had significantly higher estimated female performance, which is a composite measure consisting of fecundity, percentage of egg‐laying females and percentage of eggs that hatched. Overall, our findings indicate that adult diet quality significantly impacts C. medinalis performance and that using a 10%–15% honey solution is optimal for mass‐rearing under laboratory conditions.