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Title: Feeding, oviposition and survival of Liriomyza trifolii (Diptera: Agromyzidae) on Bt and non-Bt cottons

Author
item LEI, Z - TEXAS AGRILIFE RESEARCH
item Greenberg, Shoil
item LIU, T.-X - TEXAS AGRILIFE RESEARCH

Submitted to: Bulletin of Entomological Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/18/2008
Publication Date: 2/4/2009
Citation: Lei, Z., Greenberg, S.M., Liu, T. 2009. Feeding, oviposition and survival of Liriomyza trifolii (Diptera: Agromyzidae) on Bt and non-Bt cottons. Bulletin of Entomological Research. 99:253-261.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The effects of Bt transgenic cottons (Bt-I expressing cry1Ac and Bt-H expressing cry1Ab and cry2Ab or cry1Ab and cry1Fa) and non-Bt cottons on feeding, oviposition and longevity of adults, and development and survival of Liriomyza trifolii larvae were studies under laboratory conditions, and infestations on four Bt and two non-Bt cotton traits were investigated under field conditions. Laboratory choice and no-choice tests showed that L. trifolii adults were capable of distinguishing between Bt or non-Bt cottons. In a choice test on younger plants (4-5 leaves), the adults were more often found and made more feeding punctures (FP) on non-Bt than on Bt cottons. On older plants (8-9 leaves), adults made the most FP on non-Bt cotton, followed by those on Bt-H cottons, and the least on Bt-I cotton. The females oviposited more eggs (6.7/leaf) on non-Bt cotton than on Bt-I (1.7) and Bt-H (0.8) cottons on younger plants. In a no-choice test, the females also fed more FP on non-Bt cottons than on Bt cottons on both younger and older plants. The females oviposited more eggs (15.6/leaf) on non-Bt cotton than on Bt-I (8.2) and Bt-H (6.5) cottons on younger plants, and similar numbers of eggs (2.5-3.3) on non-Bt and Bt cottons. The occurrence and damage of leafminers on cottons in the field showed that L. trifolii infested more plants and leaves and had more mines on non-Bt than on Bt cottons.