OVIPOSITION, DEVELOPMENT, AND HOST PREFERENCE OF THE CROSS-STRIPED CABBAGEWORM (LEPIDOPTERA, PYRALIDAE)

The cross-striped cabbageworm. Evergestis rimosalis (Guenee), is a pot entially destructive pest of Brassica crops. Because little is known a bout its biology, we determined its development on broccoli, Brassica oleracea variety italica Plenck, at 5 temperatures ranging from 15 to 35 degrees C. Development from egg to death of adult was 114.8, 61.2, 47.6, 31.4. and 18.2 d at 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 degrees C, respective ly. Oviposition increased from 7.4 eggs at 15 degrees C to a maximum o f 80.9 eggs at 30 degrees C, but decreased to 9.8 eggs per female at 3 5 degrees C. Eggs were laid in small overlapping masses with number of eggs per mass ranging from 3.7 at 15 degrees C to 17.4 at 30 degrees C. Egg hatch between 20 and 30 degrees C exceeded 90%, but was lower a t 15 degrees C (53.8%) and at 35 degrees C (11.2%). There were 4 insta rs with head capsule widths of 0.34, 0.56, 1.04, and 1.66 mm. respecti vely. Significant differences were not found in pupa size. adult wing expanse, or body length between sexes. The cross-striped cabbageworm h ad 4 population density peaks during 1992 and 1993, the 2 in the summe r being greater than the 2 in the fall. Host preference field tests wi th 8 Brassica cultivars showed that Brussels sprouts and collards were the most preferred and cabbage and kale were the least preferred. The population density of a gregarious braconid endoparasitoid of E. rimo salis, Cotesia orobenae Forbes, peaked several weeks after the host.