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über die Orientierung und das Wirtswahlverhalten der Möhrenfliege, Psila rosae F. (Diptera: Psilidae) I. Larven
Author(s) -
Städler E.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
zeitschrift für angewandte entomologie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0418
pISSN - 0044-2240
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0418.1971.tb03227.x
Subject(s) - larva , biology , agar , host (biology) , botany , horticulture , ecology , genetics , bacteria
The orientation and host plant selection of Psila rosae F. (Dipt., Psilidae). I. Larvae. The orientation and behaviour of L 1 ‐larvae were studied on agar‐surfaces. Two distinctly different types of appetitive behaviour could be distinguished by the tracks that larvae made in tal***c dusted on the agar: Following emergence larvae on agar with or without tal***c showed a penetration behaviour characterized by zig‐zag tracks; however, in older larvae (1 day old) provided with whole body contact stimuli (tal***c) a circling behaviour was observed. If no tal***c was present they behaved as newly emerged larvae. The larvae did not react to gravity or light but they aggregated probably orthokinetically where the humidity was 100 % r. h. Below the prefered temperature of 17–18° C the larvae reacted with attraction to a heat surface but above this temperature they were repulsed. Using the body size and the heat gradient it was calculated that the larvae can perceive temperature differences as small as 0.02–0.005° C. The larvae were attracted by CO 2 liberated from roots of different plant species and by an artificial CO 2 source. This orientation appeared to be due to klinotaxis. As specific odours (essential oils extracted from carrot seeds) had no attractive effect, host selection apparently takes place only when larvae contact potential host roots.