Developmental Rate of the Sooty Strain of Pectinophora gossypiella123

Abstract

The rate of development of the larval and pupal stages of 4 strains of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lep.: Gelechiidae), were compared at constant temperatures from 16.7° to 38°C. Two of the strains carried the dominant autosomal mutation, sooty (S); the other 2 were wild-type. Both sooty strains and a closely related wild-type strain developed significantly faster than the wild-type laboratory strain. The comparisons indicated that the differences in developmental times were due to genetic differences caused by adaptation of the insects to different rearing regimes rather than to direct effects of the sooty locus on developmental rates. The use of the sooty strain in mass rearing insects is discussed.