Ecology of the Maize Weevil, Sitophilus Zeamais (Motschulsky), Relative to Flight Habits, Attraction to Sunflowers, and Two Hymenopterous Parasites
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1966 Ecology of the Maize Weevil, Sitophilus Zeamais (Motschulsky), Relative to Flight Habits, Attraction to Sunflowers, and Two Hymenopterous Parasites. Roger Neal Williams Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Williams, Roger Neal, "Ecology of the Maize Weevil, Sitophilus Zeamais (Motschulsky), Relative to Flight Habits, Attraction to Sunflowers, and Two Hymenopterous Parasites." (1966). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1232. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1232 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 67-1199 WILLIAMS, Roger Neal, 1935- ECOLOGY OF THE MAIZE WEEVIL, SITOPHILUS ZEAMAIS (MOTSCHULSKY), RELATIVE TO FLIGHT HABITS, ATTRACTION TO SUNFLOWERS, AND TWO HYMENOPTEROUS PARASITES. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1966 Entomology University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan ECOLOGY OF THE MAIZE WEEVIL, SITOPHILUS ZEAMAIS (MOTSCHULSKY), RELATIVE TO FLIGHT HABITS, ATTRACTION TO SUNFLOWERS, AND TWO HYMENOPTEROUS PARASITES A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Entomology by Roger Neal Williams M.S., Louisiana State University, 1.964 August, 1966 ACKNOWLEDGMENT The writer wishes to express his appreciation to E. H. Floyd, Professor of Entomology and the writer’s major professor, for his assistance in the planning and supervision of this re search, for his constructive criticisms in the development of this research and in the preparation of this manuscript. Appreciation is also extended to E. C. Burns, Professor of Entomology, J. H. Roberts, Professor of Entomology and Zoology and J. B. Sinclair, Professor of Botany and Plant Pathology for their assistance in correction of the manuscript. Special acknowledgment is made to L. D. Newsom, Boyd Professor and Head of the Department of Entomology, for assistance and advice concerning approaches to the research and for correction of the manuscript, and to E. J. Kantack, Professor of Entomology, for his assistance and advice in preparation and correction of the manuscript. To J. H. Roberts, appreciation is extended for prepara tion of the photographs of insects, and to Charles L. Mangum for sunflower photographs used in this manuscript. To Mrs. Emeline R. Staples, Senior Librarian, the writer expresses thanks for her assistance in securing literature used in this work which was not available in the University library, and to Mrs. B. T. Chapin of the Entomology Department for her assistance in handling parasites and to B. D. Burks, Taxono mist, U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C., for identifi cation of the parasites, Choetospila elegans Westwood and Anisopteromalus calandrae (Howard), studied in this research. To J. P. Woodring, Assistant Professor of Zoology, appreciation is extended for identification of the mites en countered in this research and to J. R. Walker, Associate Professor of Entomology, for weather data, and to Ii. F. Calhoun III for his assistance in making routine insect counts and to Norman Hyett for assistance in preparation of the graphs. Last, but not least, thanks are due my wife, Lupita, for her encouragement and her understanding during the progress of the research and for her assistance in typing the rough draft of this manuscript. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENT ...................................... LIST OF TABLES ...................................... LIST OF FIGURES ..................................... LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ................................ ABSTRACT ............................................ INTRODUCTION ........................................ SECTION I: FLIGHT HABITS............................. Literature Review .................................. Dispersal of the Maize Weevil ...................... Procedure ......................................... Results ........................................... Discussion ........................................ Time of Day of Maize Weevil Flight from Storage Bin ... Procedure ......................................... Results ........................................... Discussion ...... ................................. Abundance and Distribution of Maize Weevils in a Small Field of Popcorn ........................... Procedure ......................................... Results ........................................... Discussion ........................................ Page Emigrating Maize Weevils Collected on Adhesive Traps Surrounding a Corn Field ......................... 2 7 Procedure ......................................... 2 7 Results ........................................... 28 Discussion ........................................ 29 SECTION II: THE MAIZE WEEVIL IN RELATION TO SUNFLOWERS . 3 6 Sunflowers as a Trap Crop .................. T....... 36 Literature Review .................................. 37 Rates of Reproduction of Flower-fed and Nonflower-fed Maize Weevils .................................... 39 Procedure ........................................ 10 Results ........................................... 11 Discussion ........................................ 11 Arbitrary Classification of Attractiveness to Sun flowers by Adult Maize Weevils .................... 13 Destination of Dispersing Maize Weevils in Late Spring and Early Summer .......................... 11 Procedure ......................................... 15 Results ........................................... 16 Discussion ........................................ 16 Stages of Flowering of "Louisiana” Sunflower ....... 16 Sunflower-Maize Weevil Field Study .................. 17 Procedure ......................................... 18 Results ................ 18 Discussion ........................................ 51 Location of Maize Weevils on Open Sunflower Heads .... 52 Page SECTION III: PARASITES ........................... 5 6 Literature Review: Anisopteromalus calandrae (Howard) 5 6 Literature Review: Choetospila elegans Westwood ..... 6 2 SI. zeamais and Sh oryzae as Hosts of A. calandrae and C. elegans ................................... 69 Procedure ......................................... 69 Results .............................. .......... 70 Discussion ........................................ 7 0 A Study to Determine if Parthenogenesis Occurs in C. elegans ...................................... 72 Procedure ......................................... 72 Results .................................... 73 Discussion ........................................ 74- Parasites in Standing Cornand in Farm-Stored Corn .... 75 Procedure ......................................... 75 Results ........................................... 76 Discussion ........................................ 79 Effectiveness of the Two Parasite Species as Determined Under Laboratory Conditions ................. 80 Procedure ................................... 80 Results ........................................... 81 Discussion ........................................ 83 Parasite Effectiveness Under Controlled Environmental Conditions in the Laboratory Compared to Fluctuating Outside Conditions.... ............................ 84- Procedure ......................................... 84 Page Results .................................... 85 Discussion ........................................ 87 Cold Tolerance Studies of Adults of A. calandrae and £• elegans ........ 88 Procedure ......................................... 89 Results ........................................... 89 Discussion ........................................ 90 Tolerance to Low Temperature by the Immature Stages of C. elegans and A. calandrae .................... 92 Procedure ......................................... 92 Results ........................................... 93 Discussion ...... 95 Stages of S_. zeamais Attacked by A. calandrae ....... 95 Procedure ......................................... 95 Results ........................................... 97 Discussion ........................................ 97 LITERATURE CITED ...... ■..... 100 VITA ................................................ 103 LIST OF TABLES Page I Biweekly totals of adult maize weevils collected on two 1-square-foot adhesive traps at Baton Rouge, Louisiana for three years ............. 11 II Sexes of all maize weevil adults collected on traps in 1965 showing areas of collections .... 12 III Total numbers of adult maize weevils collected on adhesive traps differing in surface area and located at various elevations (1965 data) .. 14 IV Comparison of numbers of adults collected at five elevations from August 15 through December 31, 1965 at Baton Rouge ...................... 15 V Time of day emigrating maize weevil adults were trapped--1966 ............................... 21 VI Density of and relative locations of adult maize weevils in a small corn field--Baton Rouge, 1965 ......................................