Larval development of Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Den. et Schiff.) (Lepidoptera, Thaumetopoeidae) from Greece as influenced by different plants under laboratory conditions

• Published in: Journal of applied entomology (1986) Vol. 109; no. 4
• Main Authors: Devkota, B. (Hannover Univ. (Germany, F.R.). Dept. of Zoology-Entomology), Schmidt, G.H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 1990
• Subjects: CRECIMIENTO; CROISSANCE; Entwicklung; EXPERIMENTACION IN VITRO; EXPERIMENTATION IN VITRO; GRECE; GRECIA; Griechenland; Komplex; LARIX; LARVAS; LARVE; Laubbaum; Lepidoptera; PINUS; Puppe; THAUMETOPOEA; Thaumetopoea pityocampa; Wirt
• ISSN: 0931-2048; 1439-0418

The pine processionary caterpillar Thaumetopoea pityocampa is one of the pine defoliators of high economic importance, especially in forests of the Mediterranean. Various species of Pinus serve as food plants to this polyphagous forest pest. To observe the effects of different pines on the development and mortality, newly hatched larvae from egg batches collected at Kassandra/Greece were treated with 13 different species of pines and with one species of larch. Pinus mugo Turra was taken as the standard host plant and the effects shown by the caterpillars feeding on other pine needles were compared with those feeding on P. mugo. The pine twigs used for the current study were made available by 'Berggarten' of Hannover. Caterpillars fed with the needles of Pinus strobus L., Pinus parviflora S. et Z., Pinus cembra L., Pinus wallichiana Jacks and Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carr. showed a delayed larval development. Moreover, a 100 per cent mortality could be observed within the first instar in the larvae feeding on P. parviflora and within the second instar in those feeding on P. strobus and L. kaempferi. The larvae fed with P. cembra needles could live till third instar. Though some of the mature larvae fed on P. wallichiana (= P. excelsa Wall.) migrated into the soil (larval mortality 96.7 per cent), none of the pupae could survice. The differences in the mean pupal weight could not be statistically verified in pupae of those caterpillars which had fed on Pinus contorta Dougl., Pinus nigra Arn., and Pinus leucodermis Ant., although the larval mortality was recorded to be 11.7 per cent, 43.3 per cent and 33.3 per cent, respectively. The mean pupal weight of other groups ranged from weakly to highly significant level