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Effects of irradiation on the reproductive ability of Zonitoides arboreus , a snail pest of orchid roots
Author(s) -
HOLLINGSWORTH ROBERT G,
FOLLETT PETER A,
ARMSTRONG JOHN W
Publication year - 2003
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.1744-7348.2003.tb00309.x
Subject(s) - biology , snail , pest analysis , biomphalaria glabrata , larva , irradiation , reproduction , botany , zoology , toxicology , ecology , helminths , physics , schistosoma mansoni , nuclear physics , schistosomiasis
Summary The effect of irradiation on the reproductive ability of the orchid snail, Zonitoides arboreus , a serious pest of potted orchids in Hawaii, was investigated. Weekly egg production averaged between 0.8 and 1.9 over a 9–wk period for snails not exposed to irradiation, and egg hatch averaged 61%. In comparison to untreated controls, irradiation of snails at the lowest dose tested (34–37 Gy) reduced egg production and egg hatch by 63% and 94%, respectively over a 9–wk period. None of the snails treated with levels of irradiation ≥ 69 Gy produced viable eggs. This is the first study measuring the effect of ionising irradiation on a terrestrial snail or slug species using sterilising doses. Overall, the results show that the reproductive ability of this snail species is affected by irradiation in a similar manner as for Biomphalaria glabrata , an aquatic snail for which the effects of irradiation have been studied in detail.