Laboratory Rearing of Lesser Appleworm (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Abstract

The lesser appleworm, Cydia prunivora (Walsh), was reared successfully in the laboratory. Larvae of various instars were collected in the field from hawthorn fruit, Crataegus spp. Initially, immature apples served as the food source for the larvae in the laboratory. Rearing was conducted in a greenhouse and later in combination with a controlled environment room at 25 degrees C, 50-60% RH, and a photoperiod of 18:6 (L:D) h. Under these conditions, a generation required approximately 30 d. Fifty-six adult lesser appleworm moths emerged from the original field collected hawthorn fruits. After a decline in the number of the F1 generation to 39 moths, the colony on mature apples, increased to in excess of 10,000 moths by the fifth generation with a mean survival rate to adult of 68.0%. When production on immature apples was compared with that on four artificial diets, the most promising of the artificial diets was the lima bean-based diet currently used to rear the oriental fruit moth, Cydia molesta (Busck), with a mean survival rate of 46.4%. The other bean-based diets tested were not as satisfactory. Pear foliage was the preferred oviposition substrate of those tested, including apple and hawthorn foliage. No eggs were deposited on plain waxed paper or glass microscope slides; however, large numbers of eggs were deposited on waxed paper treated with a water extract of pear foliage and immature apples.

Effects of Orchard Host Plants on the Oviposition Preference of the Oriental Fruit Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

“…In a closely related species, Grapholita prunivora (Walsh), rearing on a similar lima bean diet (Mantey et al 2000) for Þve generations resulted in the development of a "golden sport" population that expressed heritable differences in wing coloration from the original wild strain (Mantey et al 2000, Neven andMantey 2004). It is difÞcult to compare the signiÞcance of a phenotypic color mutation in comparison with the mutation (or mutations) that would be necessary affect host preference, but this Þnding does underscore concerns about continuous rearing on meridic diet, and the effects on the genetics of host selection behavior.…”