Thermal Requirements for Emergence of Overwintered Sorghum Midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)

Baxendale, F.P. and Teetes, G.L. (1983) Thermal Requirements for Emergence of Overwintered Sorghum Midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Environmental Entomology, 12 (4). pp. 1078-1082.

PDF Restricted to ICRISAT researchers only

Abstract

Emergence of adults of the overwintered generation of Contarinia sorghicola (Coq.) in sorghum fields in Texas was monitored during 1979, 1980 and 1981. Differences in emergence times and distribution among years was a function of soil temperature and rainfall. A heat unit accumulation model incorporating a rainfall adjustment factor was developed which described adult emergence in the spring. Adults initiated emergence after accumulating 431 centigrade heat units (based on mean daily 10 cm soil temperatures starting on 1 April) above a threshold temperature of 14.8°C, whereas, 679 and 977 heat units were required for 50 and 95% emergence, respectively. Adults from larvae that overwintered in Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense) spikelets emerged after similar heat unit accumulations as those that overwintered in sorghum spikelets. The time that C. sorghicola initiated diapause in one year had little effect on the timing or distribution of emergence the following spring. No midges terminated diapause and emerged as adults in the same season that diapause was initiated. Of the diapausing midges, 23% failed to emerge until the 2nd spring and 2.6% emerged the 3rd spring, but times and distributions of emergence were similar for all the years

Item Type:	Article
Author Affiliation:	Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Subjects:	Plant Protection > Pests
Divisions:	Sorghum
Depositing User:	Ms K Syamalamba
Date Deposited:	29 Feb 2012 11:02
Last Modified:	29 Feb 2012 11:02
Official URL:	http://esa.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/es...
URI:	http://eprints.icrisat.ac.in/id/eprint/3338

Actions (login required)

View Item