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Title: EVALUATION OF RUBIDIUM CHLORIDE AND CESIUM CHLORIDE INCORPORATED IN A MERIDIC DIET TO MARK DIATRAEA GRANDIOSELLA (LEPIDOPTERA: CRAMBIDAE) FOR DISPERSAL STUDIES

Author
item QURESHI, JAWWAD - KANSAS STATE UNIV
item BUSCHMAN, LAWRENT - KANSAS STATE UNIV
item RAMASWAMY, SONNY - KANSAS STATE UNIV
item Throne, James
item WHALEY, PAUL - KANSAS STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2004
Publication Date: 6/15/2004
Citation: Qureshi, J.A., Buschman, L.L., Ramaswamy, S.B., Throne, J.E., Whaley, P.M. 2004. Evaluation of rubidium chloride and cesium chloride incorporated in a meridic diet to mark diatraea grandiosella (lepidoptera: crambidae) for dispersal studies. Environmental Entomology 33(3):487-498.

Interpretive Summary: The southwestern corn borer is a pest of corn in the U.S., and information on the dispersal of this species is required to aid in development of resistance management plans to minimize risk of development to BT-transgenic corn. Scientists at Kansas State University, in conjunction with scientists at the USDA-ARS Grain Marketing and Production Research Center in Manhattan, KS, conducted studies to determine the feasibility of using elemental markers to mark southwestern corn borers for dispersal studies. Both rubidium chloride and cesium chloride were effective for marking the insects, and the markers had little effect on the insects. Thus, these markers will be useful for dispersal studies on southwestern corn borers.

Technical Abstract: Southwestern corn borer (SWCB), Diatraea grandiosella (Dyar), were reared on a control meridic diet and diets that incorporated rubidium chloride (RbCl) or cesium chloride (CsCl) at the rate of 1,000 ppm (one gram per liter of wet diet) to evaluate the effects on biology of the D. grandiosella and to determine if the resulting adults are marked with the rubidium (Rb) and cesium (Cs) physiological markers. The effects of RbCl and CsCl on survival, diet consumption, larval and pupal weight, development time, adult deformity, adult longevity, fecundity, and adult dry weight were generally minor and seldom reached statistically significant proportions. Males and females mated successfully when paired in different combinations across treatments. Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (GF-AAS) and Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) were both effective in detecting Rb and Cs in the male and female adults reared on RbCl and CsCl incorporated diets. Rubidium and Cs contents of male and female adults reared on RbCl and CsCl incorporated diets were above the background levels found in adults reared on the control diet. Rubidium and Cs can be used as physiological markers to mark D. grandiosella in dispersal experiments.