Calling behavior in virgin females of Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in laboratory

Abstract

The stemborers of the genus Diatraea are the pest with the greatest impact on sugarcane production systems in Colombia. To understand the calling behavior of virgin females of Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), two preliminary tests were established during twenty-four continuous hours in the laboratory. These were set up using females of one and two days old respectively under controlled conditions of temperature and relative humidity (25 °C - 50%) and photoperiod 12h (L): 12h (D). The variables evaluated were onset hours, call duration, and sexual gland exposure number. With previous test results, we determined the slot time when females call and thus, we were able to establish a new trial to evaluate the same variables in females one, two, and three days old (n=30), with inverted photoperiod. The calling behavior was evidenced from the fifth to the eleventh hour of scotophase. Calling duration varied between 30 and 210 min, with the percentage of females calling during 30 min being higher. 37% of the one day old females called only once. These basic studies allow the understanding of sexual behavior of this, which leads to creating tools that can be included on D. saccharalis integrated pest management.

Keywords

• borer
• sexual behavior
• sexual gland
• sugarcane