EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON OVIPOSITION, FEEDING, AND LONGEVITY OF LIRIOMYZA TRIFOLII (DIPTERA: AGROMYZIDAE)

Abstract The effect of selected constant temperatures (15.6°, 21.1°, 26.7°, 32.2°, 37.8 °C) on oviposition, feeding, and longevity of Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) was examined in the laboratory with chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat, as a host plant. There was no significant difference in total feeding at 21.1°, 26.7°, and 32.2 °C nor was there significant difference in egg deposition at these temperatures. The ratio egg deposition: feeding was significantly larger at 26.7 °C. Longevity was similar (12–16 days) at all temperatures except 37.8 °C where it was reduced to ca. 3 days. The effect of temperature was more pronounced when feeding and oviposition were analyzed per day. Maximum feeding occurred at 32.2 °C while significantly more oviposition was found at 26.7 °C. An estimate of the threshold temperature for oviposition was 12.2 °C which was higher than that observed experimentally (10 °C). Ninety percent of oviposition occurred with 550°D of adult female life (above base 10 °C).