OVIPOSITION PREFERENCES OF THE POLYPHAGOUS MOTH CHORISTONEURA-PARALLELA (LEPIDOPTERA, TORTRICIDAE) - EFFECTS OF PLANT-SPECIES, LEAF SIZE, AND EXPERIMENTAL-DESIGN
Rj. Stuart et S. Polavarapu, OVIPOSITION PREFERENCES OF THE POLYPHAGOUS MOTH CHORISTONEURA-PARALLELA (LEPIDOPTERA, TORTRICIDAE) - EFFECTS OF PLANT-SPECIES, LEAF SIZE, AND EXPERIMENTAL-DESIGN, Environmental entomology, 27(1), 1998, pp. 102-109
The fireworm Choristoneura parallela (Robinson) is a major pest of cra
nberry in Neu Jersey. Eggs typically are laid on the leaves of various
weed species, and larvae disperse unto cranberry by ballooning. We us
ed laboratory-reared moths and greenhouse experiments to investigate o
viposition preferences among 3 need species: greenbrier, Smilax rotund
ifolia L.; leatherleaf, Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.); and sheep laurel
. Kalmia angustifolia L. In no-choice tests conducted in screen cages
using cuttings, leatherleaf received the most egg masses whereas the o
ther species did not differ. In this test there were no differences am
ong species in the latency to the Ist egg mass; and the latency betwee
n the Ist and 2nd egg masses did not differ for greenbrier compared wi
th the other species but it as shorter for leatherleaf than for sheep
laurel. The results were similar in 3-way choice tests conducted in sc
reen cages using cuttings with leatherleaf receiving the highest perce
ntage of egg masses and the other species not differing. However, a di
fferent preference hierarchy was found in 3-way choice tests conducted
in plastic boxes using a single leaf of each species: greenbrier rece
ived the highest percentage of egg masses, leatherleaf received more t
han sheep laurel and sheep laurel received no egg masses. Two-way choi
ce tests using paired leaves in plastic boxes showed that lar ger gree
nbrier and leatherleaf leaves were preferred other smaller ones of the
same species, but that leatherleaf was preferred over sheep laurel ev
en when sheep laurel species were larger. These results demonstrate th
at this moth exhibits oviposition preferences among plant species but
that the preference hierarchy depends on the experimental situation, a
nd that both the species and the size of individual leaves can be fact
ors.