Abstract
AbstractPotato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is an invasive insect pest damaging solanaceous crops. We measured the supercooling point (SCP) and survival at low temperature of different development stages to determine which would be capable of overwintering in the Korean climate and adapting to low temperatures. The SCP ranges from −23.8°C of the egg to −16.8 of fourth instar larvae (L4). After short periods of low temperature acclimation in L3 (third instar larva), L4 and prepupae, only the prepupal stage showed a significant lowered SCP from −20.78 to −22.37°C. When exposed to different subzero temperature for two hours the egg turned out to be the most cold tolerant stage showing LT50 of −21.7°C followed by the pupal stage with −15.89°C. One hundred percent mortality was observed when the larvae or adults were exposed to temperatures below −15.1°C even for a period as short as 2 h. The results suggest that PTM pupae and egg would be the main overwintering stage in Korea where winter temperature does not drop below −15°C.
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