Influence of temperature on the pupal development of the cassava shoot fly (Neosilba perezi, Diptera, Lonchaeidae)

Abstract

The cassava shoot fly (Neosilba perezi, Lonchaeidae) (Romero & Ruppel) is a key pest of cassava in Southern Brazil. Females oviposit in shoots and larvae, when feeding, reduces the growth of the plant, after destroying its apical meristem, causing losses in propagative material and root production, depending on the cultivar. Few studies address the biology of this fly. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the influence of different temperatures on the pupal development of the cassava shoot fly. Cassava shoot fly pupae were maintained under laboratory conditions at 10°C, 25°C, and 30°C. Significant differences were found between the temperatures tested. The temperature of 25°C provided the best development and emergence of viable adults while 10°C delayed the development and provided a greater number of deformed adults. At 30°C, the pupal time was shorter, but the number of deformed adults was greater. These results show that the survival of the cassava shoot fly is directly related to temperature. The colder the winter during off-season, the smaller the fly population in the next season.

Keywords

• Manihot esculenta
• Key pests
• viable adults
• population dinamics
• South Brazil