Development of a Meridic Diet for Adults of the West Indian Sweetpotato Weevil, Euscepes postfasciatus(Fairmaire)(Coleptera:Curculionidae).

Abstract

A series of experiments were conducted to develop a meridic diet for adults of the West Indian sweetpotato weevil, Euscepes postfasciatus, by modifing the diet for larvae of E. postfasciatus developed by Shimoji and Kohama (1996b). Adult weevils were reared at 26°C, 70% RH, under 14L10D photoperiodic conditions. Within the range of KOH doses tested (0-0.107 mol/l), as the KOH dose was increased in the diet, hatchability of the eggs laid increased and longevity of females decreased. The pH of water in the diet did not affect longevity, fecundity and hatchability, even though the diet containing acid water (pH 2.7) resulted in a higher number of hatched offspring than the other diets containing distilled water (pH 6.0), mineral water (pH 9.0) and alkaline water (pH 11.1). Constituents of the tentatively developed diet were 50 g sweetpotato powder, 20 g agar, 20 g sucrose, 12 g casein, 10 g powdered cellulose, 5 g yeast extract, 2.5 g Vanderzant vitamine mixture, 1.5 g Wesson's salts, 2.99 g KOH, 1 g sorbic acid, 1 g methyl paraben, 0.4 g cholesterol, 0.2 g chloramphenicol, and 500 ml acid water.

Artificial diets for rearing the coconut hispine beetle Brontispa longissima and its parasitoid Asecodes hispinarum

“…2008). Sakakibara (2003) increased the fecundity of the west Indian sweetpotato weevil, E. postfasciatus (Fairmaire), by increasing the KOH content of the artificial diet. Fragoyiannis et al.…”

“…Similarly, females of Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) fed artificial diet during their larval stages recovered their fecundity when they were supplied with natural prey (Sighinolfi et al 2008). Sakakibara (2003) increased the fecundity of the west Indian sweetpotato weevil, E. postfasciatus (Fairmaire), by increasing the KOH content of the artificial diet. Fragoyiannis et al (1998) showed that the glycoalkaloid content influenced the fecundity of the aphid Myzus persicae.…”

“…We developed an artificial diet for B. longissima by modifying the diets used for the West Indian sweetpotato weevil, Euscepes postfasciatus (Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), by Shimoji and Kohama (1996) and Sakakibara (2003) (table 1). We changed two ingredients of the ‘control diet for adults’ (Sakakibara 2003): We used dried coconut frond powder instead of dried sweet potato powder because of the different host plant, and we did not include Chloramphenicol because we changed the diets every second day, and decay of the diets was not a serious concern. Our preliminary study suggested that the physical condition of the diets might influence survival of B. longissima .…”

Artificial diets for rearing the coconut hispine beetle,Brontispa longissima(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and their suitability to two specialist parasitoids

“…We have previously developed an artificial diet for B. longissima by modifying the diets used for the West Indian sweetpotato weevil, Euscepes postfasciatus (Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), by Shimoji and Kohama (1996) and Sakakibara (2003). In that diet, we used dried leaf powder of unopened fronds of C. nucifera, which is the main food for larvae of B. longissima (Ichiki et al 2009).…”

High Population Density and Egg Cannibalism Reduces the Efficiency of Mass-Rearing inEuscepes postfasciatus(Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

“…Therefore, the development of an artificial diet for massrearing E. postfasciatus is needed. Shimoji & Kohama (1996a) and Shimoji & Yamagishi (2004) developed an artificial larval diet, and Sakakibara (2003) developed an artificial diet for adult E. postfasciatus to feed and oviposit. The larval diet contains mainly sweetpotato powder, agar, cellulose, protein, sugar, dried yeast, and water.…”