Development and Survival of the Onion Maggot under Field and Artificial Conditions on Attractive and Unattractive Onion Varieties

Abstract

AbstractWhen onions were grown in cages under field conditions, the number of plants killed per egg deposited by hand showed no significant differences between any of the varieties studied, indicating that onion maggot (Hylemya antiqua (Meig.)) fed, developed, and survived as well on varieties Nebuka and Hishiko (Allium fistulosum L.) as on White Globe Southport (Allium cepa L.) and Beltsville Bunching (A. cepa × A. fistulosum), even though the last two varieties were more attractive for natural oviposition in the field. When larvae were fed in petri dishes with crushed tissues of onion plants, no significant differences were obtained between any of the varieties in the duration of larval stages, number of pupae, weight of pupae, or number of adults, whereas in glass vials, a better larval development, a higher number of heavier pupae, and a higher number of adults were obtained from the unattractive varieties. Therefore, it appears that the preference of the females to lay eggs in the field on varieties White Globe South-port and Beltsville Bunching is not associated with the nutritive value of the host-plants.