BIOGEOGRAPHY OF INOPUS RUBRICEPS (MACQUART) (DIPTERA: STRATIOMYIDAE)

Abstract

The distribution of the sugarcane soldier fly, Inopusrubriceps is mapped in its native Australia, as well as in the introduced range, New Zealand and California. Populations are discontinuous, and apparently determined by warm temperatures (> 12.8 "C mean annual temperature) and high rainfall (> 750 mm/yr in warm temperate or > 1000 mm/yr in subtropical/tropical regions). Larvae are found only in friable and free-

Timing of Pupation of Inopus rubriceps (Macquart) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) in Sugarcane Fields

“…Despite this, pupae were similar in size each year. Our measurements of larval carry-over through winter are consistent with measurements by Robertson (1984), of 0-3570 (average 14%) in kikuyu and sugarcane in southern Queensland. Cultural control measures for I .…”

“…Male pupae were much smaller on average than female pupae (P<O.OOl); mean weights of males were 15.6 mg (range 8.7-24.9 mg, n = 101) and of females were 39.6 mg (range 11.7-76.1 mg, n = 72). These weights are higher than mean weights recorded by Wilcocks and Oliver (1976) in New Zealand (12.9 mg and 24.3 mg, respectively) and are also higher than the means of the weight distributions presented by Robertson (1984) in Australia. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in weights of either male or female pupae between years at Bundaberg or between localities with weights at Bundaberg pooled over years.…”

“…An additional flight period in late spring is reported from grassland near Sydney (Irwin-Smith 1920) and in New Zealand (Wilcocks and Oliver 1976) but not the northern tablelands of Queensland (Elder 1969). Larvae pupate within the cuticle of the last larval instar, and the pupal case persists in the soil for several months after adult emergence (Robertson 1984).…”

The invertebrate fauna of grassland and its influence on productivity. III. Effects on soil fertility and plant growth

“…However, more effective insecticidal formulations with longer field life arc required before this approach can be economically viable (Lauren et at., 1979;Lauren et al, 1980;Henzell et al, 1979). Chemical control of soldier fiy in New Zealand by itself is uneconomic, but can be cost-effective when used in combination with hard grazing over the adult fiight period (Robertson, 1979). Routine use of insecticides to control pests at non-outbreak densities in established grassland in Northern Europe is probably uneconomic and is environmentally undesirable (Clements, 1982).…”

A larva de Chiromyza vittata Wiedemann (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

“…Entre os Chiromyzinae, apenas as larvas de Inopus rubriceps (Macquart) e Inopus flavus (James) foram apontadas como espécies de interesse econômico. I. rubriceps, endêmica da Austrália, foi introduzida nos Estados Unidos da América (Kessel 1948, McFadden 1967, Robertson 1985. Suas larvas são reconhecidas como praga efetiva de cultivos de cana-de-açúcar, e têm sido intensamente estudadas naqueles países (Robertson 1986, Samson et al 1991, Samson & Harris 1995, chamando a atenção o trabalho de Samson & McLennan (1992), onde foi testado o desenvolvimento das larvas de Inopus rubriceps em 13 espécies de diferentes famílias de plantas (Gramineae, Cruciferae, Curcubitaceae, Leguminosae e Solanaceae).…”