Abstract
The melon worm, Diaphania hyalinata Lepidoptera: Pyralidae considered as an insect pest that infests cucurbits and causes serious damage to them. Despite the importance of this insect, it has not received adequate study. This study was conducted under laboratory conditions with 28±1.2 and 20-25% room temperature and relative humidity respectively, to determine melon biology of melon worm on six species of cucurbits namely; snake cucumber, squash, pumpkin, sweet melon, watermelon, and tibish. The study revealed that the average duration of the developmental stages i.e. egg, larva, and pupa were 2.5±0.25, 11.4±0.13, and 7±0.15 days, respectively. The fecundity and fertility were 90.4±7.60 eggs and %73.6±3.63, respectively. The life cycle (from egg-laying to adult emergence) was completed in 20-23 days with a mean of 21.37±0.22 days when the larvae were fed on leaves of snake cucumber. The sex ratio was 1:0.8 male to female. The type of food had significant effects on larval, pupal period, and life cycle. A clear impact on the duration of the life cycle was found when larvae were fed on leaves of snake cucumber, squash, pumpkin, sweet melon, watermelon, and tibish compared when fed on fruits of the same cucurbits above. It was found that snake cucumber and sweet melon were the most preferred by females for egg laying compared to the other cucurbits in laboratory studies.
Highlights
The family cucurbitaceae is considered as a large family which includes about 130 genera and 900 species (Jeffrey, 1980)
The cucurbits grown in Sudan include: snake cucumber (Cucumis melo var flexuous), squash (Cucurbita pepo L), pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), sweet melon (Cucumis melo var cantaloupnesis), water melon (Citrullus lanatus) and tibish (Cucumis melo var tibish)
Due to the lack of scientific researches and data about this pest in Sudan, this study aimed to determine the biology of the insect on six cucurbits species,: snake cucumber (Cucumis melo var flexuous), squash (Cucurbita pepo L), pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), sweet melon (Cucumis melo var cantaloupensis), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), and tibish (Cuccumis melo var tibish), and to reveal host preference of egg laying by females
Summary
The family cucurbitaceae is considered as a large family which includes about 130 genera and 900 species (Jeffrey, 1980). 30 species of 9 genera under this family are cultivated (Esquinas-Alcazar andGulick, 1983). They are essential source of vitamins and minerals and are useful in neutralizing the acid substances that result from consumption of animal protein and other food. The cucurbits grown in Sudan include: snake cucumber (Cucumis melo var flexuous), squash (Cucurbita pepo L), pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), sweet melon (Cucumis melo var cantaloupnesis), water melon (Citrullus lanatus) and tibish (Cucumis melo var tibish). In Sudan it prefers snake cucumber and heavy attack had been reported from many parts of the country (Ali, 2009). Larvae feed on lower surface of the leaves and later move and penetrate fruits and make them unmarketable (Ali 2006). The melon worm is a serious pest of cucurbits through the southern
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