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Diel patterns of locomotor activity in Cydia pomonella : age and sex related differences and effects of insect hormone mimics
Author(s) -
Keil Sabine,
Gu Hainan,
Dorn Silvia
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1046/j.0307-6962.2001.00247.x
Subject(s) - codling moth , biology , tortricidae , lepidoptera genitalia , juvenile hormone , diel vertical migration , locomotor activity , insect , zoology , endocrinology , ecology
. The diel pattern of locomotor activity in the codling moth Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) was investigated in the laboratory, using a computer‐based infra‐red actograph. The level of locomotor activity varied with sex and age. On the day of emergence, females were more active than males, but on days 2, 4, 6 and 12 males were approximately twice as active as females. Males reached their highest activity on day 4 and females on day 12. Both sexes were most active at dusk. Their activity patterns were fitted to a set of polynomial regression models. Treatment with 400 p.p.m. of Juvenile Hormone mimic, fenoxycarb, stimulated locomotor activity and provoked a marked activity peak at dawn in both virgin and mated females. A similar treatment with the ecdysone agonist tebufenozide showed a neutral effect on the locomotor activity of females. Possible implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the physiology of the moth and to its dispersal behaviour.