Open AccessDEVELOPMENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN PLAGUE LOCUST, CHORTOICETES TERMINIFERA, IN RELATION TO WEATHER I. EFFECTS OF CONSTANT TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY
Author(s) -
Gregg P.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
australian journal of entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1440-6055
pISSN - 1326-6756
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-6055.1983.tb01888.x
Subject(s) - humidity , biology , nymph , locust , air temperature , relative humidity , zoology , ecology , atmospheric sciences , thermodynamics , physics
Under controlled constant temperatures in the laboratory, over 90% survival of the eggs of Chortoicetes terminifera was recorded between 20.6°C and 36.0°C. For the nymphs, over 70% survival was recorded at temperatures between 25.9°C and 39.0°C. Humidity did not significantly affect the survival of nymphs and had only slight effects on their developmental rate. The relationship between temperature and development rate was curvilinear for all developmental stages, and could be adequately described by logistic models. There were no significant influences of temperature or humidity on morphometric ratios, but both factors affected overall size, and temperature had a pronounced effect on adult colour.