Ka. Stoner, BEHAVIOR OF NEONATE IMPORTED CABBAGEWORM LARVAE (LEPIDOPTERA, PIERIDAE) UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS ON COLLARD LEAVES WITH GLOSSY OR NORMALWAX, Journal of entomological science, 32(3), 1997, pp. 290-295
Movement and feeding of newly-hatched imported cabbageworms, Pieris ra
pae (L.), on the upper and lower leaf surfaces of collard plants with
glossy and normal waxes were monitored using a videocamera. During the
50-min observation period, more of the larvae fed when placed on the
lower surface of leaves with normal wax (50 to 68%) than on the upper
surface (23 to 32%), or on either upper (27%) or lower (16%) surfaces
of leaves with glossy wax. A larger portion of the larvae moved at lea
st 1 mm on glossy leaves than on normal leaves, and they moved farther
during the observation period on glossy than on normal leaves, and on
the upper leaf surface compared to the lower leaf surface. The failur
e of a proportion of the larvae to begin feeding on either surface of
leaves with glossy wax is likely to be an important factor in the resi
stance to imported cabbageworms observed in the field.