Biology of the Banded Cucumber Beetle, Diabrotica balteata, in Louisiana

Abstract

The banded cucumber beetle, Diabrotica balteata LeConte, has become an increasingly important pest of sweet potato in Louisiana since 1958. In Louisiana, there are 6 or 7 generations per year. Beetle activity was observed in the field during every month of the year. Eggs were deposited in the soil singly or in clusters. In the field as many as 12 were observed in a single cluster. Under laboratory conditions, 20 to 100 eggs were laid during a 24-hour period. Oviposition usually occurred at intervals of 2 to 3 days beginning when the female was about 3 weeks old and lasted from 2 to 8 weeks. The number of days during which oviposition occurs ranged from 2 to 15, a single female laying as many as 849 eggs in a lifetime. Three larval instars were observed during the larval feeding period. Mean larval developmental period was 17 days at 80° F. and 23 days at 70° F., when larvae were reared on sweet potato. Pupation takes place within a pupal cell near the soil surface and the pupal period lasted 7 to 9 days at temperatures of 70°F., and 80°F.