Abstract:The biology of Boettcherisca peregrina (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) was studied in the laboratory (25 ± 5 º C, R.H. 70 ± 10% and 12 h light: 12 h dark cycle ). There were four definite life stages, such as egg, larva, pupa and adult, in its life cycle. The mean duration of the life cycle was 13.19 ± 1.32 days. The egg was creamy white color, cylindrical, rounded at both ends. The egg shell was comparatively thick and hard. There were three larval instars. The larvae of B. peregrina were acephalous and apodus type. The transparent 12 segmented larva possessed a pair of mouth hook, bands of small backwardly directed black micro spines, a pair of prothorasic spiracle and a pair of posterior spiracle. The 1 st larvae were relatively more transparent at the time of hatching. The second instar larvae were voracious feeder. The body size increased largely during the third instar. They were deep creamy to pale brownish in color. The pupae of B. peregrina were coarctate adecticous type. The posterior end of the puparium was rounded and the anterior end was slightly pointed. The adults were metallic brown in color. The males were smaller in size than the females. The mean incubation period was 11.6 ± 2.70 hours, and the larval, post-feeding and pupal periods were 102.22 ± 7.85 hours, 75.4 ± 3.57 hours, and 5.81 ± 1.30 days, respectively. The longevity of the mated male and female adults (36.9 ± 2.46 days and 27.2 ± 2.25 days, respectively) were more than that of the unmated ones (23.6 ± 2.25 days and 18.3 ± 1.5 days, respectively). The protein fed adults lived longer than the protein unfed ones.The male always lived longer than the female.
Tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV) is an orthotospovirus that causes a devastating disease in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller). TCSV emerged recently in South Florida. Studies were conducted in three commercial tomato fields in Miami-Dade County, Florida during the vegetable-growing seasons from October to April in 2015 through 2017. Each year, data were collected at 3, 6, and 9 wk after transplanting at various distances from the edges of each fields. Based on 3 yr total samples, three species of thrips were commonly observed melon thrips, Thrips palmi Karny (62.16 ± 0.79%), being the most abundant species followed by common blossom thrips, Frankliniella schultzei Trybom (21.55 ± 0.66%), and western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (16.26 ± 0.61%). Abundance of all thrips and TCSV infected plants was high at the edge of a tomato field 3 wk after transplanting with significantly fewer infected plants toward the center of the field. The distribution patterns of thrips and TCSV in various fields were mostly regular and aggregated across the sampling dates during the study period. Abundance of TCSV symptomatic plants and thrips species was high at the edge of the field and increased over time. The number of samples required to accurately determine population density of thrips was calculated by using three precision levels (0.10, 0.20, 0.30) at three predetermined densities of thrips (0.10, 0.20, and 0.40 per sample). This information will provide guidelines to growers, crop protection personnel, agricultural scouts, and researchers to develop a sustainable thrips and tospovirus management program.
The reproductive biology of the flesh fly, Boettcherisca peregrina (Diptera : Sarcophagidae ) was studied in the blowfly laboratory (25 -30ºC, 60 - 80% RH and 12 hrs light and 12 hrs dark) of the Institute of Food and Radiation Biology, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Dhaka. The female reproductive system of B. peregrina comprises of two ovaries, two lateral oviducts, a common oviduct, three spermathecae, and a pair of accessory gland, a bilobed incubation pouch, vagina and genital opening. The male reproductive system B. peregrina consists of a pair of testes, a pair of vasa deferentia, a pair of accessory gland, a median ejaculatory duct, an ejaculatory sac and aedeagus. There is a general trend of gradual development of different organelles of the male and female reproductive systems from adult emergence to reproductive maturity. Protein diet was essential for proper development of female reproductive system. Oocyte development was apparent in both protein fed and protein unfed females. The mean sex-ratio of male to female was 20.2 : 14.2.
The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences. Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall, 1913) is a small sized (3-4 mm) insect in the order Thysanoptera and family Thripidae, commonly known as bean flower thrips, oriental bean thrips, and Asian bean thrips. It is an important economic pest of legumes. Megalurothrips usitatus was first reported in the USA in Florida in 2020 (Soto-Adames, F. N. 2020).
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