Studies of the life history and habits of Diabrotica longicornis (Say), a new pest of corn in Quebec, were undertaken in the field and in the laboratory. Seasonal activity and habits were established by monitoring life stages in the field during the years 1979, 1980 and 1981. The threshold temperature for development of NCR eggs was estimated at 9.7(DEGREES)C. The mean thermal constant for first hatching in the laboratory was 326 degree days above 9.7(DEGREES)C. Eclosion occurred in the field when average soil temperature conditions at the 5 - 10 cm depth reached 331 - 334 degree days. / Pupation occurred in the soil from late June to early July. Adults emerged from mid-July to August, and oviposition occurred during the same period. Oviposition preferences of NCR beetles were studied in relation to local soil types, soil moisture, and soil surface conditions, both in the laboratory and in the field under free choice conditions. In both cases, a clear preference was shown for moist, cracked, clay soil. / The behaviour of adults held under controlled environmental conditions (12L:12D diel light cycle, 23 (+OR-) 2(DEGREES)C temperature, 60 - 80 per cent RH) was investigated, and emergence, locomotor activity and sexual behaviour were recorded. The duration of larval stages reared in the laboratory on natural diets were compared with those for field-collected larvae. Natural enemies and mortality factors for the species were investigated in the field. A simple method for rearing NCR in the laboratory was developed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.71850 |
| Date | January 1983 |
| Creators | Dominique, Cyril Ray Michael. |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Entomology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 000155639, proquestno: AAINK64598, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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