Comparative Life-Histories of Three Mocis SPP. in Florida (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Abstract
Average numbers of fertile eggs laid by Mocis disseverans (Walker), M. latipes (Guenee), and M. marcida (Guenee) were 308.0, 277.4, and 183.6, respectively. Pre-oviposition periods ranged from 2-12 days with averages of 4, 4, and 5 days, respectively, for the 3 species. Mocis larvae were reared successfully on all grasses supplied but not on the legumes lima beans, Phaseolus limensis, Macf; peanut, Arachis hypogaea L.; and Glycine max L. There were 6 or 7 larval instars; larvae pupated within folded leaves. At 75 @+ 5@*F, the life-cycles on quineagrass, Panicum maximum Jacq. of M. disseverans, M. latipes, and M. marcida averaged 34.6, 27.4, and 45.8 days, respectively, but the ranges overlapped. Mated females of M. latipes and M. disseverans each lived 13 days, while M. marcida females lived 15.2 days. All 3 species had a 1:1 sex ratio. No parasitoid was found to be specific to any Mocis sp. Parasitoids reared from Mocis pupae were the sarcophagids, Sarcodexia sternodontis Townsend, and Sarcophaga sp. the braconids, Apanteles scitulus Riley, Meteorus autographa Muesebeck, and Microplitis maturus Weed; the chalcids, Brachymeria ovata ovata (Say), and B. robusta (Cresson); and the ichneumonids, Coccygomimus aequalis (Provancher), Enicospilus purgatus (Say), E. arcuatus? (Felt), and Gambrus ultimus (Cresson). Predators of Mocis larvae were a tenebrionid adult, Bothrothes fortis (Casey) and a carabid larva, Pinacodera sp.Downloads
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