The biology of cocoa pod borer Acrocercops cramerella Sneller and its control in Sabah, Malaysia [cacao]
1982
Lim, G.T. | Tay, E.B. | Pang, T.C.
The cocoa pod borer Acrocercops cramerella Snellen (Lepidoptera: Gradillariidae) is one of the key pests of cocoa in Sabah, Malaysia. The mean duration of egg, larval and pupal stages were 3.28 +- 1.02, 17.64 +- 0.25 and 6.68 +- 0.47 days, respectively. The mean total days from egg to adult emergence was 27.60 days. Four larval instars were estimated. In the laboratory, the average longevity of male and female moths were 4.50 +- 0.39 and 4.50 +- 0.27 days, under field conditions the life span of male and female averaged 3.21 +- 0.48 and 5.14 +- 0.29 days, respectively. Sex-ratio was 1:1.2 for laboratory emerged and field collected adults, respectively. The pre-oviposition and oviposition periods were 2.96 +- 0.22 and 2.72 +- 0.32 days. Egg production by a mated female averaged 61.00 +- 7.48. The mean hatchability was 69.64 +- 1.28% in the laboratory and 95.12 +- 1.9% under the field conditions. Two species of pupal parasitoids, one egg parasitoid and 22 species of predators were recorded. Eggs were mainly laid singly by the moth. The maximum number of eggs per pod observed was 35. The preferred sites for oviposition were in the furrows of the middle and top portions of the cocoa pod
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