Calling behavior of the female carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) under cycling and constant temperatures in laboratory

Abstract

The calling behavior of virgin carob moth females, Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Zeller) (Lep.: Pyralidae) was evaluated under two different thermal regimes, cycling and constant temperatures under laboratory condition. The period of calling activity under cycling temperature was prolonged and the total period of calling activity of an individual female was increased. Although moths maintained under cycling temperature started calling later for the first time significantly in the scotophase than those maintained at 25 °C, but the calling activity at cycling temperature was higher than at 25 °C. At two temperature regimes, the mean onset time of calling (MOTC) advanced from about 441 to 189.5th min after the onset of the scotophase, and the mean time spent calling (MTSC) increased by > 120 min over the eight days. MTSC and MOTC for cycling thermal regime were 96.8 ± 6.5 and 275.9 ± 9.3 min respectively. We assumed that the extension of the calling period under cycling temperature might be due to potential similarities of the temperature regime to natural thermal fluctuations which could lead to an increased proportion of females mated; apart from its importance in efficacy of sex pheromone extraction under laboratory conditions.

Keywords

• calling behaviour
• carob moth
• cycling temperature