Comparison of two artificial diets to rear Elaphria agrotina

ABSTRACT: Given the increasing importance of Elaphria agrotina (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in corn crops, especially in the Brazilian Savannah biome, the present research aimed to study its development and survival on Greene’s and Poitout & Bues’s artificial diets (25±1°C, 70±10% relative humidity [RH] and 12h photophase). Poitout & Bues’s diet was more suitable than Greene’s diet, providing higher survival percent (77.51% vs. 5.57%), lower development time (49.81 days vs. 55.24 days) and higher fecundity (167.65 vs. 84.9 eggs), respectively. All the caterpillars reared on Poitout & Bues’s diet passed through six instars, while almost half of the larvae reared on Greene’s diet went through one less instar stage. Regarding the main reproductive parameters, higher average time of generation (T) and lower values of net rates of reproduction (Ro), and increased (rm) intrinsic and finite reason of increase (λ), were observed for larvae reared on Greene’s diet. Results presented in this study indicated that Poitout & Bues’s diet is more suitable for maintenance of colonies of E. agrotina as compared to Greene’s diet.

摘要：鉴于埃氏夜蛾（*Elaphria agrotina* (Guenée)，鳞翅目：夜蛾科）在玉米作物中的发生为害愈发凸显，尤其在巴西稀树草原生物群落中，本研究旨在探究其在Greene配方人工饲料与Poitout & Bues配方人工饲料上的生长发育与存活情况，试验设置的环境条件为：温度25±1℃，相对湿度（RH）70±10%，光周期12h。结果显示，相较于Greene配方人工饲料，Poitout & Bues配方人工饲料更适宜该虫的饲养：其幼虫存活率更高（77.51% vs 5.57%），发育历期更短（49.81天 vs 55.24天），单雌产卵量也更高（167.65粒 vs 84.9粒）。取食Poitout & Bues配方人工饲料的所有幼虫均完成6个龄期的发育，而取食Greene配方人工饲料的幼虫中近半数仅经历5个龄期。针对核心生殖参数而言，取食Greene配方人工饲料的幼虫组，其世代平均时间（T）更长，净生殖率（Ro）更低，而内禀增长率（rm）与有限增长率（λ）更高。本研究结果表明，相较于Greene配方人工饲料，Poitout & Bues配方人工饲料更适合用于维持埃氏夜蛾（E. agrotina）的种群饲养。