Effects of gamma radiation on the reproduction biology and mating competitiveness of citrus leafminer Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton

Abstract

The citrus leafminer (CLM), Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton, is one of the most serious pests of Iran's citrus nursery stocks. In this study, the effects of gamma radiation at doses of 100–450 Gy on the biological and reproductive parameters of P. citrella were determined. The results showed that the mean percentage of pupal mortality increases with a rise in the dose. Also, the mean values of this parameter were higher for irradiated females, indicating higher sensitivity. The mean fertility of the irradiated females mated with normal males was affected drastically and reached zero at 300 Gy. The hatchability of the eggs laid by normal females mated with irradiated males dropped to 2% at the highest irradiation dose of 450 Gy. The results of this test showed that females have a higher radio-sensitivity than males. The competitiveness values fluctuated from 0.2 to 0.6 at doses higher than 200 Gy. The results showed that the male CLMs irradiated with sterilizing doses could compete suitably with the untreated males in laboratory conditions.