scholarly journals Notes on the Life Cycle of the Tobacco Hornworm, Manduca sexta (L.) (Lepidoptera; Sphingidae), in Puerto Rico

1969 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-62
Author(s):  
Rafael Inglés Casanova ◽  
Silverio Medina Gaud

The life cycle of the sphingid moth, Manduca sexta (L.), the tobacco hornworm, was investigated in Puerto Rico. Descriptions of the stages, including measurements of the egg (length and width), larva (length and head capsule width), pupa (length), and the duration of each of the stages are given. The estimated leaf consumption by each larval instar, a list of known host plants, and the natural enemies known to occur in Puerto Rico are included.

Zoosymposia ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 401-407
Author(s):  
SYLVESTER OGBOGU ◽  
WILLIAMS ADU

The life history and density of Cheumatopsyche digitata Mosely (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) were examined below Opa Reservoir in Ile-Ife, southwestern Nigeria. This caddisfly is the only species that occurs immediately below the impoundment auxiliary spillway where it closely associates with an aquatic bryophyte, Fontinalis sp. We collected larvae every month between July 2004 and June 2005 as long as larvae were available in the study site. The instar growth ratio was fairly constant and ranged from 1.198 to 1.402 (mean ± standard error = 1.285 ± 0.073) but mean head capsule width increased with larval development. The frequency distribution of head capsule width of larvae clustered into 5 size classes, suggesting 5 larval instars for C. digitata in the study site. Density of larvae ranged from 1,100 to 11,150 inds.m-2 (mean ± SE = 6739  inds.m-2 ± 3904.70), the highest densities occurring in October 2004 during the bloom of Fontinalis. The first larval instar appeared in July 2004. Adult emergence occurred mainly in December 2004 through January 2005 at the onset of reservoir draw-down and death of Fontinalis. These patterns indicate that C. digitata tended to show a univoltine life cycle in the study site.


1969 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 229-234
Author(s):  
Carlos Rosario ◽  
Carlos Cruz

The life cycle of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), the worst pest of cabbage in Puerto Rico, was studied. Description of the stages, including measurements of the larva (body length and head capsule width), and duration of the stages are given. The average duration in days of the egg, larva, prepupa, pupa and adult was 3, 11.7 (4 instars), 1, 3.6 and 11.1, respectively. Larval length and head capsule width in mm for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th instar was 1.2, 2.1, 3.7, 7.0 and 0.15, 0.24, .40, 0.56, respectively.


1969 ◽  
Vol 94 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 165-174
Author(s):  
Alejandro E. Segarra-Carmona ◽  
Irma Cabrera-Asencio ◽  
Luisa E. Flores-López ◽  
Luis Morales-Collado

The arrival of the invasive Asian lime swallowtail, Papilio demoleus L., in Puerto Rico has prompted the need for a better understanding of its life cycle, and its control options under local citrus-producing conditions. Our results show that P. demoleus has a life cycle of approximately 30 days. From oviposition, eggs hatch in three days. Larval instar durations are 3, 2, 3, 3, and 5 d for larval stages 1 to 5, respectively. Pupal stage lasts approximately 12 days. Head capsule measurements for instars 1 to 4 are similar in males and females. Last instar females tend to be larger than males. Our data suggest that 12 or more generations are possible under local conditions. Acute stomach toxicity tests on third instar larvae indicate that spinosad and Bacillus thuringiensis subs, kurstaki cause 100% mortality in most concentrations tested. Other insecticides were not effective. Possible advantages of using these products are discussed in light of initiatives to use reduced risk pesticides and biologically-based pesticides.


Author(s):  
Alec R. Lackmann ◽  
Malcolm G. Butler

Except for one unconfirmed case, chironomid larvae have been reported to pass through four larval instars between egg and pupal stages. We have observed a fifth larval instar to be a standard life-cycle feature of the podonomine Trichotanypus alaskensis Brundin 1966 in tundra ponds on the Arctic Coastal Plain near Barrow, Alaska. T. alaskensis has a one-year life cycle in these arctic ponds. Adults emerge in June ~2-3 weeks after pond thaw, then mate and oviposit; most newly-hatched larvae reach instar IV by October when pond sediments freeze. Overwintering larvae complete instar IV within a few days of thaw, then molt again to a fifth larval instar. Imaginal discs, normally seen only during instar IV in Chironomidae, develop across both instars IV & V prior to pupation and adult emergence. While monitoring larval development post-thaw in 2014, we noticed freshly-molted T. alaskensis larval exuviae a week or more prior to any pupation by that species. In 2015-16 we reared overwintering instar IV larvae from single pond sources, individually with daily monitoring, through molts to instar V, pupa, and adult. Some overwintering instar II and III larvae were reared as well, but were few in number. During 2016 we also reared T. alaskensis progeny (from eggs) through instar II, thus documenting head capsule size ranges for all five instars in a single pond’s population. Without individual rearings, the fifth larval instar was not readily apparent for two reasons: 1) The molt itself occurs immediately after thaw and is so synchronous it is difficult to discern in daily field samples. 2) The head capsule size increment between instars IV-V is much lower than the ratio predicted by the Brooks-Dyar Rule. Up through instar IV, the Brooks-Dyar ratio for T. alaskensis ranged 1.30-1.61, but during the IV-V molt head capsule dimensions (sexes pooled) increased by a ratio of 1.09 – comparable to the magnitude of sexual dimorphism in head capsule size within each of the final two larval instars. Individual rearings coupled with 2014-2016 field surveys in nine other ponds suggest that five larval instars is an obligatory trait of this species at this location. As this is the first confirmed case of five larval instars in a chironomid, the phylogenetic uniqueness of this trait needs further investigation.


1984 ◽  
Vol 39 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 1066-1074 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lothar Grün ◽  
Martin G. Peter

Abstract Radiolabeled manducin, which is the arylphorin (i.e. tyrosine-rich larval serum protein) of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta was prepared by in vivo biosynthesis from [U-14C]-ʟ-tyrosine. In order to see whether manducin is incorporated into the cuticle of developing pupae and participates in cuticle sclerotization, the radiolabeled protein was injected into late last larval instar larvae. Fractionation of the sclerotized pupal cuticle into a buffer soluble, acid soluble and acid insoluble fraction shows that up to 2.6% of peptidic tyrosine residues end up in the acid soluble portion. Another 0.5% are recovered from the acid insoluble fraction by combustion. Only 30% of peptidic tyrosine residues of manducin incorporated into the acid soluble fraction are recovered as tyrosine. The presence of radioactivity in the acid insoluble fraction suggests that peptidic tyrosine residues are transformed partly into melanin-like material. The in­corporation of manducin into the cuticle of pupae is also evident from immunological studies. Relative large quantities of radiolabeled acid insoluble melanine like material is also recovered from sclerotized cuticle after incorporation of radiolabeled tyrosine as well as tanning substrates N-acetyldopamine and N-β-alanyldopamine. Application of doubly labeled [7-3H,8-14C]-N-acetyldopamine shows a high loss of 3H in the acid insoluble fraction. It is suggested that tanning agents form lignine-like polymers and that sclerotization results from copolymerization with peptidic tyrosine residues in the cuticle. Thus, the arylphorin manducin appears to be an important constituent of the sclerotization system in Manduca sexta.


1997 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigid V Nogueira ◽  
David P Muehleisen ◽  
Lavern R Whisenton ◽  
Rosemary S Gray ◽  
Walter E Bollenbacher

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