Seasonal Occurrence of the Durian Fruit Borer, Mudaria Magniplaga Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
The durian fruit borer, Mudaria magniplaga Walker, is the most important insect pest of durian (Durio zibethinus Murray) in Malaysia. Since the larva of M. magniplaga is known to feed only on durian fruit which are in season once or twice a year, it is necessary to understand how the phenology of...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
1996
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/10388/2/FP_1996_18_A.pdf |
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| Summary: | The durian fruit borer, Mudaria magniplaga Walker, is the most important
insect pest of durian (Durio zibethinus Murray) in Malaysia. Since the larva of M.
magniplaga is known to feed only on durian fruit which are in season once or
twice a year, it is necessary to understand how the phenology of the pest is related
to that of the host's. Studies were carried out to: (l) determine the species of
Mudaria infesting durian, (2) examine the phenological relationship between M
magniplaga and durian, (3) investigate diapause in M magniplaga.
For the taxonomic study, moths were obtained from light traps and by
rearing from infested durian fruit and flower buds. Based on the forewing size
and pattern, and dissection of the male genitalia two species of Mudaria were
identified of which one was M. magniplaga and the other an unknown (probably new) species of Mudaria. Of the specimens from the light traps, 230 were M
magniplaga and 5 were Mudaria sp.; all 823 specimens from fruit were M
magniplaga; and from the flower buds 5 were M magniplaga and 91 were
Mudaria sp. From the results it was concluded that: (1) besides fruit M
magniplaga also infests the flower bud of durian, (2) the Mudaria sp. found
infesting flower buds does not infest durian fruit, (3) the high proportion of
Mudaria sp. may indicate either an adaptation by this species to durian flower
buds or that the phenology of M magniplaga was not in synchrony with that of
the buds during the study period. |
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