23 Kas 2024 Cumartesi
Investigation on biology of olive leaf worm Palpita unionalis Hb. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in constant laboratory conditions
Abstract :Olive leaf worm, as a quarantine pest in Iran, was reported in olive orchards in Roudbar city for the first time in August 1999. This insect is dispersed in Italy, Spain, Greece, west Asia, North Africa, Portugal, Sweden, Poland, Japan and tropical regions in America. The most important damage of the pest occurs on young trees, nurseries and shoots of old trees. The young larva of the pest feed beneath the leaves and as they grow larger, they consume entire leaves and buds. The he second generation, if they are abundant, feed on fruits and seeds as well. In order to control this important pest, it certain biological aspects were studied under constant laboratory conditions at 27 °C, 65% relative humidity and 16 hours photoperiod during 1999 in Agricultural Research Center of Zandjan province using caged individual 2- year old potted olive trees of yellow cultivator. According to the results the mean developmental time, from the egg through the adult stages, lasted for 34.9 days. The average generation time, under above-mentioned conditions, was estimated to be 38 days so that it could produce 9 generations per year. The sex ratio was shown to be 1: 1.12 (male: female). The percentage mortality of immature stages appeared to be 49.45%. The mean fecundity of females was 385 (with a range of 212 - 419) with adult longevity of 14.1 (range: 8 - 26) and 12.3 days (range: 7 and max 21) for male and female individuals, respectively
Olive leaf worm, biology, Palpita unionalis, Lepidoptera