Gn. Mbata et Sb. Ramaswamy, FACTORS AFFECTING THE STABILITY AND RECOGNITION OF THE OVIPOSITION MARKER PHEROMONE OF CALLOSOBRUCHUS-SUBINNOTATUS (PIC), Journal of Stored Products Research, 31(2), 1995, pp. 157-163
Several biological and physical factors were manipulated to determine
if they interfere with the ability of females of Callosobruchus subinn
otatus (Pie) to discriminate against seeds bearing conspecific eggs. E
gg-laden seeds were found to be effective in deterring ovipositing fem
ales throughout the trial period of 6 weeks. Scraping off eggs from se
eds caused the deterrent effect of the oviposition marker to dissipate
after 4 weeks. Females were able to distinguish between egg-laden and
pristine seeds under various regimes of temperature, humidity, and li
ght. Age of females did not affect their ability to distinguish betwee
n egg-laden and pristine seeds. It is speculated that both contact and
olfactory cues are necessary for the avoidance of egg-laden seeds.