Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-gvh9x Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-20T02:56:05.413Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Aspects of sorghum shootfly reproduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

G. C. Unnithan
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
Get access

Abstract

This paper includes a description of the internal reproductive system of the female sorghum shootfly, Atherigona saccata, as well as studies on egg maturation and survival, and effects of mating and/or presence of the male on egg maturation, fecundity and fertility. The number of ovarioles per female ranged from 20 to 47. A. seccata exhibits autogeny, but carbohydrate is essential for egg production and survival. Nutritional deficiency led to a high incidence of oocyte resorption. A mixture of baker's yeast and sugar was a better adult food than brewer's yeast and glucose. Sorghum (cereal) aphid honeydew was a nutritious adult food. Shootflies provided with sorghum aphid honeydew showed an acceleration of vitellogenesis, a decrease in the frequency of oocyte resorption and a shortening of the preoviposition period. Egg maturation does not seem to be influenced directly by mating or by the presence of males. The continuous presence of the male also has no significant effect on fecundity. Shootfly females seem to mate only once and this single mating ensures fertilization of eggs laid even long after mating.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1981

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Auclair, J. L. (1958) Honeydew excretion in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harr.) (Homoptera, Aphididae). J. Insect Physiol. 2, 330337.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ballard, E. and Rao, Y. R. (1924) A preliminary note on the life history of certain Anthomyiad flies, Atherigona spp. and Acrithochaeta excisa, Thomson. In Rep. Proc. 5th ent. Meeting, Pusa, 1923, pp. 275277.Google Scholar
Engelmann, F. (1970) The Physiology of Insect Reproduction. Pergamon Press, New York.Google Scholar
Gray, R. A. (1952) Composition of honeydew excreted by pineapple mealybugs. Science, Wash. 115, 129133.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jones, M. G. (1971) Observations on changes in the female reproductive system of the wheat bulb fly Leptohylemyia coarctata (Fall.). Bull. ent. Res. 61, 5568.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jotwani, M. G. and Young, W. R. (Eds) (1972) Control of Sorghum Shootfly. Proceedings of an International Symposium, Hyderabad, India, November 1971. Oxford & IBH, New Delhi.Google Scholar
Kundu, G. G. and Kishore, P. (1970) Biology of the sorghum shootfly Atherigona varia soccata (Anthomyiidae: Diptera). Indian J. Em. 32, 215217.Google Scholar
Lamb, K. P. (1959) Composition of the honeydew of the aphid Brevicoryne hrassicae (L.) feeding on swedes (Brassica napohrassica DC). J. Insect Physiol. 3, 113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larsen, J. R., Pfadt, R. R. and Peterson, L. G. (1966) Olfactory and oviposition responses of the housefly to domestic manures, with notes on an autogenous strain. J. econ. Ent. 59, 610615.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meksongsee, B., Kongkanjana, A., Sangkasuwan, U. and Young, W. R. (1978) Longevity and oviposition of sorghum shootfly adults on different diets. Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 71, 852853.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meksongsee, B., Prachaubmoh, O. and Sepsawadi, P. (1968) Bionomics and control of sorghum shootfly, Atherigona excisa Thomas. PANS (A) 14, 532535.Google Scholar
Mittler, T. E. (1958) Studies on the feeding and nutrition of Tuberolachnus salignus (Gmelin) (Homoptera, Aphididae) II. The nitrogen and sugar composition of ingested phloem sap and excreted honeydew. J. exp. Biol. 35, 7484.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ogwaro, K. (1978) Observations on longevity and fecundity of the sorghum shootfly, Atherigona soccata (Diptera, Anthomyiidae). Entomologia exp. appi. 23, 131138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pappas, C. and Fraenkel, G. (1977) Nutritional aspects of oogenesis in the flies Phormia regina and Sarcophaga bulletta. Physiol. Zool. 50, 237246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robbins, W. E. and Shortino, F. F. S. (1962) Effect of cholesterol in the larval diet on ovarian development in the adult housefly. Nature, Lond. 194, 502503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robertson, F. W. and Sang, J. H. (1944) Ecological determinants of population growth in a Drosophila culture—I. Fecundity of adult flies. Proc. R. Soc. 132, 258277.Google Scholar
Shiang-Lin, Shie, Zi-De, Fan and Shou-Hua, Su (1981) Studies on the sorghum shootfly in China. Insect Sci. Applic. 2, 3947.Google Scholar
Soto, P. E. (1972) Mass rearing of the sorghum shootfly and screening for host plant resistance under greenhouse conditions. In Control of Sorghum Shootfly (Ed. by Jotwani, M. G. and Young, W. R.), pp. 137148. Oxford & IBH, New Delhi.Google Scholar
Tyndale-Biscoe, M. and Hughes, R. D. (1969) Changes in the female reproductive system as age indicators in the bushfly, Musca vefustissima Wlk. Bull. ent. Res. 59, 129141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, W. R. (1981) Fifty-five years of research on the sorghum shootfly. Insect Sci. Applic. 2, 39.Google Scholar