Sterile insect technique and F1 sterility in the European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana

Abstract

Newly emerged adults of the European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana (Denis and Schiffermuller) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), were irradiated with various doses of gamma radiation and crossed to unirradiated counterparts of the opposite sex. Fecundity was decreased when unirradiated females were mated with either 300-or 350-Gy-irradiated males. Adult males that were irradiated with 400 Gy and mated with unirradiated females retained a residual fertility of 2.7%. The radiation dose at which irradiated females were found to be 100% sterile when mated with unirradiated males was 150 Gy. The inherited effects in the F1 progeny of irradiated male parents were examined at 100, 150, and 200 Gy. Fecundity and fertility of the F1 progeny of males irradiated with 150 Gy and inbred or crossed with irradiated and unirradiated moths were also recorded. A significant reduction in fertility was observed when F1 males mated with either F1 or unirradiated females. According to sterility index, F1 females who mated with F1 males had greater sterility than when F1 females were crossed to 150-Gy-irradiated males. Based upon the results of this study, 150 Gy of gamma radiation would be the optimal dose to use in a sterile insect technique and F1 sterility program against L . botrana .

Inherited influence of low dose gamma radiation on the reproductive potential and spermiogenesis of the cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus (F) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

“…It is in agreement with the study of Carpenter, Bloem, and Bloem (2001) who didn't detect a skewed sex ratio while studying the results of male offspring for Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera). On the other hand, this result is in contrary to other reported studies for other insect pests (Saour, 2014;Seth & Sharma, 2001). Khan and Islam (2006) had recorded significantly less number of females produced after Musca domestica irradiation, but the overall female ratio between generations was not affected by radiation doses.…”

Flight Ability and Dispersal of European Grapevine Moth Gamma-Irradiated Males (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

“…To our knowledge, there have been no experimental data on the effect of gamma radiation on the flight ability of male L. botrana in laboratory or in field settings. The only published information relates to the effect of radiation on the fecundity and fertility of L. botrana (Saour 2014). The results presented in this paper lead us to conclude that the flight cage assessment can be considered an additional valuable tool that enabled the detection of differences in flight ability caused by irradiation and thus provided a better understanding of male L. botrana's flight behavior.…”

Advances and Challenges of Using the Sterile Insect Technique for the Management of Pest Lepidoptera

“…For IS programs, however, it is important to know the female sterilizing dose, as no genetic sexing systems exist to separate the female from the male moths, and the release of partially fertile females needs to be avoided. The radiation sensitivity of female moths appeared species-dependent, i.e., female codling moths were completely sterile when treated with a dose of 100 Gy [113], whereas a dose of 150 Gy was sufficient to completely sterilize females of E. saccharina and the European grape vine moth Lobesia botrana (Denis and Schiffermüller) (Tortricidae) [114,115]. Females of the litchi stem-end borer Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley (Gracillariidae) and the tomato leaf miner T. absoluta (Gelechiidae) were more radioresistant, and required 200 Gy for complete sterility [116,117,118], whereas eggs produced by females of the light brown apple moth (LBAM) Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (Lymantriidae), which had been irradiated with 250 Gy, still showed 0.1% hatch [119].…”