Studies conducted to determine certain aspects of the bionomics of the Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar), concentrated on ovipositional preferences and fecundity as related to phenological stages of rice and sugarcane. Ovipositional preferences among several sugarcane and rice cultivars were assessed under drought stressed and non-drought stressed conditions (sugarcane) as well as different stages of flooding on rice in greenhouse studies. Total numbers of eggs were counted. Oviposition sites in rice were determined by dividing plants exposed to oviposition into three sections (basal third, middle third and upper third) as well as separating dead, dry leaves from the green live leaves. Number of eggs was determined on each section. Fecundity was determined by mating pupae collected from sugarcane experiments in the field from several cultivars under different irrigation regimes. Management practices contributing to reduced pupal weight, fecundity, and ovipositional preferences help forecast areawide suppression of E. loftini populations.
Species 1: Lepidoptera Crambidae Eoreuma loftini (Mexican rice borer)
Keywords: oviposition preference
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