Open AccessLARVAL INSTAR DETERMINATION AND TEMPERATURE‐DEVELOPMENT STUDIES OF IMMATURE STAGES OF THE COMMON ARMYWORM, MYTHIMNA CONVECTA (WALKER) (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE)
Author(s) -
Smith A. M.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
australian journal of entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1440-6055
pISSN - 1326-6756
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-6055.1984.tb01917.x
Subject(s) - biology , instar , noctuidae , larva , mythimna separata , pupa , lepidoptera genitalia , pyralidae , zoology , botany
Larvae of the common armyworm, Mythimna convecta had 6 or 7 instars when reared on artificial diet at 25°C. Instars could be clearly separated on the basis of head capsule widths, but larval growth did not follow “Dyar's Rule”. Seven instar larvae lived longer and yielded heavier pupae than 6 instar larvae. The developmental periods of eggs, larvae and pupae were measured over a range of temperatures between 10°C to 35°C. Both Pradhan's and Stinner's equations provided a better fit to the observed values than thermal summation. In Victoria, M. convecta would have more generations/year but lower winter survival than the southern armyworm, Persectania ewingii (Westwood).