DEVELOPMENT OF LABORATORY-REARED BANDED SUNFLOWER MOTH, COCHYLIS-HOSPES WALSINGHAM (LEPIDOPTERA, COCHYLIDAE), IN RELATION TO TEMPERATURE

The effect of temperature on hatching, larval and pupal development ti me and mortality of the banded sunflower moth, Cochylis hospes Walsing ham, in a controlled laboratory environment were examined. Estimates o f the optimal temperature range for development, threshold temperature , thermal constant, and degree day heat accumulations needed for devel opment were obtained. The optimal temperature tested was 28-degrees-C based on the fastest development rate and lowest mortality. Temperatur es in the 15-20-degrees-C range were considered suboptimal because mor tality was high, the fifth instar diapaused, head capsule size was sma ller, and the development rate was slower than at warmer temperatures up to 32-degrees-C. The latter temperature was near the upper end of t he optimal developmental temperature range because development showed signs of a plateau and the humidity had to be raised from 45-50% to 80 -90% to increase hatch and survival. Pre-diapause and post-diapause ph ases had different estimated threshold temperatures of 11.1 +/- 0.4-de grees-C and 15.0 +/- 1.0-degrees-C, respectively. Degree day (DD) accu mulations or thermal constants for development of pre-diapause stages, post-diapausal development to the pupal stage and finally the pupal s tage were 298.4 +/- 9.2, 403.3 +/- 14.0, and 128.7 +/- 1.3 DD, respect ively. Overall, the DD requirement for development of diapause moths w as 831.4 DD to develop from egg to adult. Non-diapause moths needed 54 6.2 +/- 21.4 DD for development from egg to adult. The data provides b asic information on the biology of banded sunflower moths and have pot ential for the development of predictive models of the seasonal progre ss of this pest insect.