Laboratory rearing of lesser appleworm (Lepidoptera : Tortricidae)

The lesser appleworm, Cydia prunivora (Walsh), was reared successfully in t he laboratory. Larvae of various instars were collected in the field from h awthorn fruit, Crataegus spp. Initially, immature apples served as the food source for the larvae in the laboratory. Rearing was conducted in a greenh ouse and later in combination with a controlled environment room at 25 degr ees C, 50-60% RH, and a photoperiod of 18:6 (L:D) h. Under these conditions , a generation required approximate to 30 d. Fifty-six adult lesser applewo rm moths emerged from the original field collected hawthorn fruits. After a decline in the number of the F-1 generation to 39 moths, the colony on mat ure apples, increased to in excess of 10,000 moths by the fifth generation with a mean survival rate to adult of 68.0%. When production on immature ap ples was compared with that on four artificial diets, the most promising of the artificial diets was the lima bean-based diet currently used to rear t he oriental fruit moth, Cydia molesta (Busck), with a mean survival rate of 46.4%. The other bean-based diets tested were not as satisfactory. Pear fo liage was the preferred oviposition substrate of those tested, including ap ple and hawthorn foliage. No eggs were deposited on plain waxed paper or gl ass microscope slides; however, large numbers of eggs were deposited on wax ed paper treated with a water extract of pear foliage and immature apples.