The influence of cucurbitaceous weeds on the bionomics of the pest species, Epilachna cucurbitae Rich. (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae)
1990
Richards, A.M. (New South Wales Univ., Kensington (Australia). School of Biological Science) | Filewood, L.W.
The pest species Epilachna cucurbitae Richards can survive on a diet of weeds: paddy melon (Cucumis myriocarpus) or camel melon (Citrullus lanatus). Compared with a diet of crops, fecundity is reduced, and just under half the number of generations are produced in a year. Of the two weeds, Ct. lanatus is the preferred food. The development rate on these weeds is the slowest recorded for cucurbitophagous epilachnines. The duration of preoviposition and oviposition periods are double those on crops, the postoviposition only half as long. On Cu. myriocarpus, adult male longevity is the longest recorded for an epilachnine, and adult female longevity is the longest for any cucurbitophagus epilachnine. While the total numbers of eggs laid, number of eggs per batch, and total number of egg batches is similar on weeds and crops, the number of eggs laid per day and the hatch per egg batch on weeds are less than half those on crops. On Cu. myriocarpus the number of eggs laid per day is the lowest for cucurbitophagous epilachnines. Far more eggs are destroyed by adults on weeds than on crops, on Cu. myriocarpus 28 per cent of the total number laid. On Ct. lanatus, E. cucurbitae exhibits as temperate reproductive pattern, similar to that on crops, but on Cu. myriocarpus it is closer to a tropical pattern
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