Journal
JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGICAL SCIENCE
Volume 52, Issue 3, Pages 229-238Publisher
GEORGIA ENTOMOLOGICAL SOC INC
DOI: 10.18474/JES16-12PT.1
Keywords
Heortia vitessoides; moisture condition; pupa physiology; pupal chamber; soil-pupation behavior
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Funding
- Guangdong Natural Science Foundation [2016A030310445]
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [31270692]
- Young Investigator Research Grant (College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University)
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Previous studies show that pupating in soil is essential for Heortia vitessoides Moore (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to complete its life cycle. However, little is known of the process. In the present study, we observed soil-burrowing and pupal-chamber construction by prepupae of H. vitessoides in 0.5-cm-wide acrylic plate interlayers. In bioassays, we also investigated pupation behaviors and pupal physiology and morphology in response to soil moistures of 5%, 25%, 45%, and 65% water saturation. Prepupae burrowed significantly deeper in soils with higher levels of soil moisture and constructed larger pupal chambers at 65% water saturation. H. vitessoides pupae also had significantly greater percentage biomass loss and lower body water content when the soil moistures were lower. Interestingly, pupae in 5% saturated soil were smaller and showed a significantly higher surface-to-volume ratio than at other soil moisture levels, which might pose challenges in water conservation.
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