Continuous rearing of the maize stem borer Busseola fusca on an artificial diet

Abstract

Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a major pest of maize and sorghum in many countries of tropical Africa. Hitherto, research on this important pest has been hampered by the occurrence of a six‐month long diapause in the last larval stage and the lack of an artificial diet for rearing the insect in the laboratory. Incorporating 4 to 8‐week‐old sorghum powder in a nutritionally adequate diet and rearing larvae individually in vials at ambient laboratory conditions (25–30 °C, 50–80% r.h., and L12: D12) have made it possible to rear 15 successive non‐diapausing generations of B. fusca capable of producing between 35 to 40 healthy pupae/litre of diet and upto 70% pupation without loss of vigour or reproductive capacity. Five to six generations were completed per year and the overall mean developmental period (egg‐egg) was 68 days (egg 6, larval 45, pre‐pupal 1, pupal 14 and pre‐oviposition 2 days). Larval period lasted 70 days in the first generation compared to 32.3 days in the fifteenth generation. Average fecundity increased from 158.0 to 394.6 eggs per female with a concomitant increase of egg hatch from 44.8 to 79.6% in the first and fifteenth generation, respectively.

Phylogenetic analysis and systematics of the Acrapex unicolora Hampson species complex (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Apameini), with the description of five new species from the Afrotropics

“…Larvae were reared on an artificial diet (Onyango & Ochieng'Odero 1994) until pupation and the emergence of adults (Le Ru et al 2006aRu et al , 2006b. A total of 271 larvae belonging to the group of interest were sampled in the localities listed in Table 1.…”

Temporal patterns of emergence, calling behaviour and oviposition period of the maize stem borer,Busseola fusca(Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

“…Busseola fusca pupae were provided by ICIPE mass rearing unit (Nairobi, Kenya), where they were reared on artifi cial diet under laboratory conditions following the method described by Onyango & Ochieng'-Odero (1994). To regenerate the colony, new insects collected from the fi eld were added three times per year.…”

“…Th e larval stage, consisting of six to eight intars, lasts between 24 and 45 days depending on temperature. Adults emerge about 13-14 days after pupation (Harris & Nwanze 1992;Onyango & Ochieng'-Odero 1994;Ratnadass et al 2001).…”

Food searching behaviour of a Lepidoptera pest species is modulated by the foraging gene polymorphism

“…Insects were reared on an artificial diet for one to four generations before being included in the experiments, at the Laboratory Evolution, Génomes et Spéciation (LEGS, France), in incubators (26°C, 70% relative humidity, and a 16 h:8 h light:dark cycle). The diet was composed of dried maize leaf powder (13.2% dry matter), soybean powder (45.9% dry matter), saccharose (18.2% dry matter), dead pulverulent baker's yeast (11.9% dry matter), and a mix of vitamins, antibiotics, antifungal agents and preservatives (4.3% dry matter) (adapted from Onyango and Ochieng'-Odero, 1994).…”