Temporal patterns of emergence, calling behaviour and oviposition period of the maize stem borer, Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Sexual behaviour in most of the noctuid Lepidoptera follows a diel periodicity and is limited to a precise period of either the day or the night. The periodicity and the maturation periods are specific as well as the onset of oviposition behaviour. The knowledge of these traits of biology is an esse...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annales de la Société entomologique de France 2007-01, Vol.43 (1), p.63-68
Main Authors: Calatayud, Paul-André, Guénégo, Hervé, LeRü, Bruno, Silvain, Jean-François, Frérot, Brigitte
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Africa
Animal biology
Biological and medical sciences
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Kenya
Life Sciences
moth
Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection
Poaceae
Protozoa. Invertebrates
pupae
Records, symptoms, damages, economic importance, population surveys
sorghum
surrogate stem
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Sexual behaviour in most of the noctuid Lepidoptera follows a diel periodicity and is limited to a precise period of either the day or the night. The periodicity and the maturation periods are specific as well as the onset of oviposition behaviour. The knowledge of these traits of biology is an essential prerequisite for all the studies in chemical ecology. The periodicity of adult emergence, calling behaviour and oviposition of Busseola fusca (Fuller) was studied under laboratory conditions. Most males emerged before onset of the scotophase whereas most females did so one hour later. The virgin females started to exhibit calling behaviour few hours after emergence and there is no sexual maturation time. The calling behaviour starts the fourth hour after the onset of the scotophase but is lightly delayed for females having emerged the same night as compared to older females. Sexual and oviposition behaviours occur during the dark period. Oviposition started the first night after the mating night, peaked during the second night and then gradually decreased until the fifth night. The first night of oviposition, females laid eggs during the first three hours and after the 5th hour of the scotophase with a maximum during the 8th and 9th hour. During the second night, oviposition peaked during the second hour and tended to decrease thereafter.
ISSN:0037-9271
2168-6351
DOI:10.1080/00379271.2007.10697495