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Effect of temperature and diet on hind wing colouration development and elytral hardness of adult Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Author(s) -
FOLLETT PETER,
HILBECK ANGELIKA
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1995.tb05377.x
Subject(s) - biology , colorado potato beetle , leptinotarsa , solanum tuberosum , wing , larva , horticulture , botany , engineering , aerospace engineering
SUMMARY The effects of food and temperature on the development of colour pigment in the hind wings of adult Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), were investigated. In a replicated study, adults were held at 18°C, 28°C and 18/28°C on potato foliage ( Solanum tuberosum L.), potato tubers, or without food in controlled‐environment chambers. Representative subsamples of wings were collected at two‐day intervals, mounted on microscope slides, and photographed to document the progression of colour change. Observations were also made on elytral hardening over time. Hind wing colour developed more quickly at 28°C than at 18°C, and after three weeks had attained a deeper red colour at the higher temperature. Colour development was also more rapid when adult beetles were fed on foliage compared with tubers. In foliage‐fed beetles, elytra hardened more quickly at 28°C than 18°C, and many tuber‐fed beetles never developed hardened elytra, regardless of temperature treatment. Unfed beetles developed no hind wing colour pigment and their elytra remained soft for the duration of the experiment. Colour plates documenting wing colour development over time are presented; variation in colour development under the conditions tested, suggests that the use of hind wing colouration to estimate beetle age in the field may be problematic.