The Effect of Photoperiods and Light Intensity on Mating Behavior and Reproduction of Grapholita molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Abstract

Oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Busck), is a worldwide pest and is the dominant pest of rosaceous plants in northern China. Little is known, however, about the influence of abiotic factors on the daily life history events of this economically important pest, so here we evaluated the effect of different photoperiods (L:D) (0:24; 2:22; 4:20; 6:18; 8:16; 10:14; 12:12; 14:10; 15:9 [control]; 16:8; 18:6; 20:4; 22:2; and 24:0 h) and light intensities (50, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 lux) on the mating behavior and reproduction of oriental fruit moth. We found that oriental fruit moth adults with an 8, 9, or 10 h scotophase showed considerably more courtship behavior than those in other photoperiod treatments. Meanwhile, male fanning and male ‘crawling in a circle’ behaviors significantly decreased with increasing light intensity. Neither female or male oriental fruit moth longevity nor the egg hatch rate were influenced by photoperiod (P = 0.146; 0.271; 0.107) or light intensity (P = 0.268; 0.08; 0.123). In both photoperiod and light intensity treatments (P < 0.05), the number of eggs laid daily by females was significantly influenced by female age, decreasing with greater age. Female oriental fruit moth lifetime fecundity was influenced by photoperiod, with the 9, 10, 16, 18, and 22 h scotophase periods having higher fecundity than other treatments. Meanwhile, fecundity decreased with increasing light intensity.

Abundance and phenology of two pest species, Cacoecimorpha pronubana and Epiphyas postvittana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

“…The lowest temperature threshold we observed for LBAM was similar to other studies (Danthanarayana, 1975; Suckling & Brockerhoff, 2010). The possibility cannot be excluded, however, that abiotic factors acted on the volatility of the pheromone lures used or the mobility of the male moths, both of which may have led to differences in trap catches (Li et al, 2019; Pitcairn, Zalom, & Bentley, 1990). Equally, temperature may have been involved in the perception of the sex pheromone through the neural pathways, and not as a result of an increase in motor activity, or in the increased release rate of the pheromones at higher temperatures (Linn, Campbell, & Roelofs, 1988).…”

Is light pollution driving moth population declines? A review of causal mechanisms across the life cycle

“…Conversely, it has been suggested that outdoor lighting could increase pest outbreaks of Grapholita molesta (Busck; Tortricidae), as this species undertakes key reproductive behaviours between 3 and 500 lux (Li et al ., 2019).…”

Light alters activity but does not disturb tandem coordination of termite mating pairs

“…In contrast, swarming events of C. formosanus take place after sunset, where individuals tend to be more (but not significantly) active in the dark Nutting, 1969). Such decreased mating activity in abnormal light environments is also observed in other insects, such as fruit moths (Li et al, 2019) and olive flies (Kokkari et al, 2017). Interestingly, despite decreased movement activity, tandem runs occurred normally under different light environments.…”