Ovipositional Preferences of Diaprepes abbreviatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Abstract

Female Diaprepes abbreviatus L. were presented with immature citrus leaves, mature citrus leaves, and doubled strips of various substances as potential oviposition sites. In both the laboratory and in caged outdoor experiments more egg masses were deposited between freezer paper strips than between mature leaves. No egg masses were deposited between immature leaves. Artificial substrates were preferred in the following order: freezer paper > waxed paper > transparency film. In emergence experiments utilizing freezer paper with the plastic-coated side out as the oviposition substrate, no neonate larvae escaped from 65% of the egg masses. In contrast, larvae easily escaped from egg masses laid between strips of the other substrates tested. In the field, wax paper and freezer paper were preferred as oviposition sites 43:1 and 50:1 over mature leaf pairs, respectively. These data suggest a new prototype monitoring trap for this weevil.