ESTIMATE OF Alabama argillacea DEVELOPMENT WITH NONLINEAR MODELS 589 ESTIMATE OF Alabama argillacea (HÜBNER) (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE) DEVELOPMENT WITH NONLINEAR MODELS MEDEIROS, R. S.,1 RAMALHO, F. S.,2 ZANUNCIO, J. C.1 and SERRÃO, J. E.3 1Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, CEP 36571-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil 2Embrapa Algodão, Rua Osvaldo Cruz, 1143, C.P. 174, CEP 58107-720, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil 3Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, CEP 36571-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil Correspondence to: José Eduardo Serrão, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, CEP 36571-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, e-mail:
[email protected] Received July 2, 2002 – Accepted August 27, 2002 – Distributed November 30, 2003 (With 1 figure) ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to evaluate which nonlinear model [Davidson (1942, 1944), Stinner et al. (1974), Sharpe & DeMichele (1977), and Lactin et al. (1995)] best describes the relationship be- tween developmental rates of the different instars and stages of Alabama argillacea (Hübner) (Lepi- doptera: Noctuidae), and temperature. A. argillacea larvae were fed with cotton leaves (Gossypium hirsutum L., race latifolium Hutch., cultivar CNPA 7H) at constant temperatures of 20, 23, 25, 28, 30, 33, and 35oC; relative humidity of 60 ± 10%; and photoperiod of 14:10 L:D. Low R2 values obtained with Davidson (0.0001 to 0.1179) and Stinner et al. (0.0099 to 0.8296) models indicated a poor fit of their data for A. argillacea. However, high R2 values of Sharpe & DeMichele (0.9677 to 0.9997) and Lactin et al.