Effect of Honey Feeding by Thyrinteina arnobia Males and Females on Their Reproduction and Longevity
Keywords:
food supply, longevity, nutrition, reproductionAbstract
Nutrients obtained during the larval period can be sufficient for reproduction, but adult feeding may be necessary to reproductive maturity and ripening of eggs. Adult food requirements of Thyrinteina arnobia (Stoll) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), the main defoliator of eucalyptus in Brazil, may present problems in the laboratory. The fecundity and longevity of T. arnobia adults fed on 15% honey solution were evaluated. This solution did not improve the reproductive capacity and longevity of T. arnobia females but it favors those of males, which could increase mating probability. This is important because T. arnobia males emerge sooner than females, and feeding them could increase their longevity and chances of mating various females.
A alimentação no período larval de Lepidoptera pode garantir nutrientes para crescimento e/ou reprodução, mas estes insetos podem necessitar de alimento na fase adulta para maturação do aparelho reprodutor e dos óvulos. Thyrinteina arnobia (Stoll) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), o principal desfolhador de plantas de eucalipto no Brasil, apresenta dificuldades de criação em laboratório. A fecundidade e longevidade de adultos de T. arnobia alimentados com solução de mel a 15% foram avaliadas. Essa solução não melhorou a capacidade reprodutiva e a longevidade de fêmeas de T. arnobia, mas aumentou a longevidade de machos, o que pode permitir o acasalamento com diferentes fêmeas. Isto é importante porque machos de T. arnobia emergem mais cedo e a alimentação pode aumentar a longevidade dos mesmos e permitir o acasalamento com várias fêmeas.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright for any article published in Florida Entomologist is held by the author(s) of the article. Florida Entomologist is an open access journal. Florida Entomologist follows terms of the Creative Commons, Attribution Non-Commercial License (cc by-nc). By submitting and publishing articles in Florida Entomologist, authors grant the FOJ and Florida Entomologist's host institutions permission to make the article available through Internet posting and electronic dissemination, and to otherwise archive the information contained both electronically and in a hard printed version. When used, information and images obtained from articles must be referenced and cited appropriately. Articles may be reproduced for personal, educational, or archival purposes, or any non-commercial use. Permission should be sought from the author(s) for multiple, non-commercial reproduction. Written permission from the author(s) is required for any commercial reproduction.