Temperature-Dependent Demography Of Agriphila Aeneociliella (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), A New Insect Pest Of Wheat In China

1 Agriphila aeneociliella (Eversmann) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) was newly reported in China in 2010. Its larvae severely damage wheat in early spring and cause substantial economic losses in wheat crops.2 The present study involves a detailed study of the demography of A. aeneociliella based on the age-stage, two-sex life table. The developmental threshold and the effective accumulated temperature have been calculated for each developmental stage.3 Individuals were found to have either six or seven instars, with the percentage of seven-instar larvae increasing at higher temperatures.4 The total pre-adult development time ranged from 119.67 days at 25 degrees C to 147.26 days at 18 degrees C. The highest pre-adult survival rate was 72.60% at 18 degrees C, whereas the highest mean fecundity was 495.53 eggs per female at 25 degrees C. The highest growth rates (r = 0.0368 day(-1), lambda = 1.0375 day(-1)) were observed at 23 degrees C, whereas the shortest mean generation time (T = 127.67 days) occurred at 25 degrees C. No significant differences were found in population parameters between cohorts raised at 23 and 25 degrees C.5 The present study provides a basis for understanding the population ecology of A. aeneociliella and can be instrumental in constructing future integrated pest management programmes against this widespread pest.