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Seasonal Occurrence and Abundance of Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella

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Seasonal Occurrence and Abundance of Diamondback Moth, Plutella Xylostella R.to'ott SEASONAL OCCURRBNCE AND ABUNDANCE OF DIAMONDBACK MOTH, ?LUTELIA, XYLOSTELLA (L.), AND ITS MAJOR PARASITOIDS ON BRASSICACEOUS PLANTS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA by BIJAN HATAMI Thesis submitted for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY The University of Adelaide Department of Crop Protection Faculty of Agricultural and Natural Resources October 1996 To my late brother Siavash Hatami For his spiritual inspiration and support ll TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES vl LIST OF TABLES x SUMMARY xii DECLARATION xv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xvi LIST OF PUBLICATIONS xviii ABBREVIATIONS xix CHAPTER 1 Introduction. 1 CHAPTER 2. Literature review 4 2.1. The pest species Plutella ryIostella (L.) 4 2.2. Parasitoids of diamondback moth. t4 2.3. Measurement of parasitism. 19 2.4. Management of diamondback moth 23 CHAPTER 3. Assessment of parasitism in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). 25 3.1. Introduction. 25 3.2. Materials and methods. 26 3.3. Results. 34 3.4. Discussion 46 llt CHAPTER 4 Seasonal occulrence of Plutella ryIostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) and its parasitoids on brassicaceous weeds in the Adelaide region. 58 4.1. Introduction. 58 4.2. Materials and methods 59 4.3. Results. 62 4.4. Discussion. 67 CHAPTER 5 Adult activity of the diamondback moth in the Adelaide 73 regron. 5.1. Introduction. 73 5.2. Materials and methods 74 5.3. Results. 77 5.4. Discussion 80 CHAPTER 6. Parasitism by Diadegma semiclausum: effects of diamondback moth larval instars. 84 6.t. Introduction. 84 6.2. Materials and methods. 85 6.3. Results. 87 6.4. Discussion 88 CHAPTER 7. Parasitism by Diadegma semiclausum: effects of host plants(cabbage, wild radish, and wild mustard). 93 7.1. Introduction. 93 7.2. Materials and methods. 93 7.3. Results. 95 7.4. Discussion 95 lv CHAPTER 8 Oviposition by diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.)on different host plants 98 8.1. Introduction. 98 8.2. Materials and methods. 100 8.3. Results. 101 8.4. Discussion. 101 CHAPTER 9 Suitability of different host plants for diamondback moth r04 9.1. Introduction. 104 9.2. Materials and methods. 105 9.3. Results. 105 9.4. Discussion. 106 CHAPTER 10. Summary and conclusions. 108 APPENDICES 113 I Total numbers of DBM emerged and percent parasitism by Diadegma semiclausum during a field survey on rapeseed and kale plants at Lenswood, South Australia. 113 ) Total numbers of DBM emerged and percent parasitism by Diadegma species during a field survey on kale atLenswood, South Australia. tt4 J Number of DBM and parasitoids based on larvae per quadrats per week and average percentage parasitism and mortality of DBM larvae at Lenswood, South Australia. 115 v 4 Seasonal trend and percentage parasitism of P. xylostella larval populations on rapeseed and kale per quadrats per week at Lenswood, SA, during the first year survey 1993-94. t16 5 Seasonal trend and percentage parasitism of P. rylostella larval populations on kale per quadrats per week at l-enswood, SA, during the second year survey 1994-95. tt7 6 The phenology and general growth stage of more prevalent brassicaceous weeds in the Adelaide region, South Australia, 1993-95. 118 7 Number of DBM and parasitoids based on larvae per sweeping net per week and average percentage parasitism and mortality of DBM larvae in the Adelaide region, South Australia, 1994. 119 REFERENCES T2I vl LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 2.1. Cabbage moth (Plutella rylostella). Top, the eggs and adult moth resting on cabbage leaf. Centre, a fourth instar larva on a damaged cabbage leaf. Bottom, a pupa within the cocoon 6 Figure 2.2. Diadegma semiclausum, an endoparasitoid of larval cabbage moth. Top, adult. Bottom, cocoon of the parasitoid within the host cocoon. 18 Figure 3.1.. Location of sampling sites for field surveys of P. xylostella and its parasitoids in the Adelaide region. 27 Figure 3.2. Age structure of larval P. xylostella from rapeseed and kale at Lenswood, South Australia 1993-1994. 35 Figure 3.3. Age structure of larval P. xylostella from kale at I-enswood, South Australia 1994-1995. 36 I'igure 3.4. Larval density, percent parasitism and unexplained mortality of DBM based on the conventional density sampling method on rapeseed and kale at lænswood, South Australia 1993-1994; (a) larval density of DBM; (b) percent parasitism attributed to D. semiclausum of three last instars (open circles) and 4th instars only (closed circles); (c) percent parasitism by A. ippeus; and (d) unexplained mortality. 37 vll Figure 3.5. Larval density, percent parasitism and unexplained mortality of DBM based on the conventional density sampling method on kale at Lenswood, South Australia 1994-1995; (a) larval density of DBM; (b) percent parasitism attributed to D. semiclausum of three last instars (open circles) and 4th instars only (closed); (c) percent parasitism attributed to D. rapi of three last instars (open circles) and 4th instar only (closed); (d) percent parasitism by A' ippeas; and (e) unexplained mortality. 38 Figure 3.6. Seasonal change in number of P. xylostella pupating per m2, and percentage parasitism due to B. phya, and D. collaris at a kale field at Lenswood in 1993-1994 (a), and 1994-1995 (b) respectively. 42 Figure 3.7. Daily recruitment of pupal DBM and its parasitoids on kale at Lenswood, South Australia 1994-1995; (a) by Diadegma semiclausum and (b) D. rapi 45 Figure 3.8. Schematic linkages between DBM and parasitic Diadegmø species 50 Figure 3.9. Percent parasitism of DBM based on the conventional density sampling and recruitment methods on kale at Lenswood, South Australia 1994-1995. Conventional density estimates were used to calculate larval parasitism on instars 2, 3, 4 together and instar 4 alone. (a) percent parasitism by D. semiclausum; (b) percent parasitism by D. rapi; and (c) DBM larval density calculated by conventional sampling and recruitment of pupae. Points for recruitment \ryere shifted one day forward and for instar 4 one day backward to distinguish means and error bars. Error bars indicate standard error of mean. 51 Figure 3.10. Correlations between percent parasitism of DBM by D. vlll semiclausum as estimated by three different methods: conventional density sampling, recruitment, and 4th instar hosts 53 Figure 3.1L. Correlations between percent parasitism of DBM by D. rapi as estimated by three different methods: conventional density sampling, recruitment, and 4th larval instars 54 Figure 4.1. Wild radish stands growing peripheral to and amongst cultivated cabbage at Virginia, a vegetable production area to the north of Adelaide, SA. 60 Figure 4.2. Densities of 2nd to 4th instar larval DBM from (a) wild radish at Lenswood; (b) wild mustard at Turretfield; (c) wild radish and wild mustard at Virginia, 1993. 63 Figure 4.3. Age structure of P. xylostella (a) on wild mustard at Virginia; (b) on wild mustard in the northern Adelaide Hills; (c) on wild radish at Lenswood, 1994. 65 Figure 4.4. Larval densities of P. xylostella and Vo parasitism by D. semiclausum (a) on wild radish at Lenswood, (b) on wild mustard at Virginia, and (c) by D. rapi on wild mustard in the northern Adelaide Hills 1994. 66 Figure 5.1. The rope wick system for maintaining moisture in pots in the field. 76 Figure 5.2. Seasonal distribution of male DBM attracted to sex pheromone traps at Lenswood, SA. Plotted points show data Logro(DBM+l)ltraplday) and solid lines are three-point moving averages. 78 1X Figure 5.3. Seasonal distribution of male DBM attracted to sex pheromone traps at Turretfield, SA. Plotted points show data (Log16(DBM+1)/ traplday) and solid lines are three-point moving averages. 79 Figure 5.4. Seasonal distribution of male DBM attracted to sex pheromone traps at Flagstaff Hill, SA. Plotted points show data (Logro (DBM+l)/ trap/day) and solid lines are three-point moving averages. 79 Figure 5.5. Number of eggs oviposited by DBM adults on kale sentry plants, at Lænswood, SA, 1994-95. Vertical bars indicate standard error of means. The solid line is a three-point moving average. 81 Figure 6.1. Parasitism of 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-instars of DBM larvae by D. semiclausum, with separate instars or mixed instars on cabbage plants. Error bars are mean + SE. Different letters above columns indicate statistically significant differences (P<0.05, Tukey HSD) 89 Figure 6.2. Parasitism of lst-, 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-instars of DBM larvae by D. semiclausum in caged choice tests. Error bars are mean t SE. Different letters above columns indicate statistically significant differences (P< 0.05, Student Newman-Keuls Test) 90 Figure 7.1. Parasitism of third instar of DBM larvae by D. semiclausum. The same letter at the top of each bar indicates no significant difference (P=0.05, Tukey HSD). 96 Figure 8.1. Ovipositional preferences of DBM on wild radish and wild mustard with and without the presence of crop plant (rapeseed). Values 'Wr, are mean + SE. Rs, Rapeseed; Wild radish;Wm, Wild mustard. r02 x LIST OF TABLES Page Table 2.1. Larval and pupal parasitoids of DBM in Australta T6 Table 3.1. Average monthly minimum and maximum temperatures ("C) and rainfall (mm) at Lenswood Research centre, SA during 1993-1995. 29 Table 3.2. Sampling period of rapeseed and kale plants at Lenswood, SA 1993-1995. 30 Table 3. 3. Parasitoids reared from DBM larvae and pupae sampled from rapeseed and kale at Lenswood, SA 1993-1995. 39 Table 3.4. Total parasitism of DBM by the larval parasitoids D. semiclausum, A. ippeus and D. rapi, and the pupal parasitoids , B' phya and D. collaris as determined from conventional density samples taken from rapeseed and kale at Lenswood, SA 1993-1995 40 Table 3.5.
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