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Oviposition, adult longevity and temperature effects on the eggs of T etanocera elata ( F ab.) ( D iptera: S ciomyzidae): a potential biocontrol agent for slugs
Author(s) -
Hynes T.,
Mc Donnell R. J.,
Gormally M. J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of applied entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0418
pISSN - 0931-2048
DOI - 10.1111/jen.12120
Subject(s) - biology , context (archaeology) , biological pest control , longevity , incubation , phenology , zoology , botany , food science , ecology , biochemistry , paleontology , genetics
Pestiferous slugs in organic and conventional farming systems damage crops, reduce yield and quality, and reduce profits; however, no biological control agent that is both efficacious and inexpensive has yet been developed. One potential biological control agent is the slug‐feeding T etanocera elata ( F ab.), for which scant scientific data are currently available regarding optimum growing conditions. This study examined the effect of constant temperatures (14, 17, 20, 23 and 26°C) and ambient outdoor and laboratory temperatures on the duration of the egg stage of T. elata . In general, mean and median duration of incubation decreased as temperatures increased, with the highest (52%) and lowest (20%) hatch rates occurring at 14 and 26°C, respectively. Longevity and oviposition rates for T. elata are discussed in the context of mass biocontrol production systems, and possible reasons for low hatch rates for eggs stored at 2–3°C are discussed in the context of the phenology of the species.