DIEL PERIODICITY AND CIRCADIAN CONTROL OF OVIPOSITION BY CRYPTOPHLEBIA-ILLEPIDA (LEPIDOPTERA, TORTRICIDAE)

Oviposition rhythms were determined for Cryptophlebia illepida Butler under different photoperiods. When the photoperiod was 12:12 or 15:9 ( L:D) h at 22.5 degrees C, approximate to 88.4 and 87.9% of oviposition occurred during the photophase. However, when the photoperiod was 10: 14 (L:D) h, only 51.8% of the eggs were laid during the photophase. Ov iposition occurred primarily within 2 h before the onset of the scotop hase in all tests with cyclic photoperiods. In addition, C. illepida a djusted their oviposition timing to accommodate a shortened photoperio d. When the photoperiod of 15:9 (L:D) h was shortened during testing b y starting the scotophase 3 h earlier, C. illepida resynchronized ovip osition within 3 d so that 88.5% of their eggs were laid during the ph otophase. Oviposition of C. illepida was shown to be under circadian c ontrol with a 23.0-h free-running period in complete darkness.