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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #124516
Title: CHERRY IN REARING DIET AFFECTS DEVELOPMENT IN CODLING MOTH (LEPIDOPTERA: TORTRICIDAE))

Author
item Hansen, James D
item Drake, Stephen
item Heidt, Mildred - Millie

Submitted to: Journal of the American Pomological Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/7/2004
Publication Date: 12/15/2004
Citation: Hansen, J.D., Drake, S.R., Heidt, M.L. 2004. Cherry in rearing diet affects development in codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Journal of American Pomological Society. 58: 142-146.

Interpretive Summary: Before exported to Japan, domestic sweet cherries must be fumigated by methyl bromide to control codling moth. Yet, codling moth larvae are rarely encountered in cherry fruits. To better understand the relationship between larval development and the use of cherry fruits as a food resource, a study was conducted using different proportions of cherry fruit flesh in a standard rearing diet. The percentage of emerging adults significantly decreased with the amount of cherry in the diet. This suggest that cherry fruits have some chemical that inhibits larval feeding.

Technical Abstract: The development of the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) was compared on artificial diets that contained different proportions (from 0 to 50%) of fruit pulp from either 'Bing' or 'Chelan' cultivars of cherry, Prunus avium L. The frequency of adult emergence was inversely related to the proportion of cherry in the diet and the emergence rate was different for each cultivar. Fresh weights of adult females were not different across diet types, but fresh weights of adult males declined with increasing amount of cherry in diet. The results suggest that cherry fruits contain chemicals that interfere with codling moth survival and development, but more studies are needed to verify this hypothesis.