Abstract
The fungus gnat Bradysia difformis Frey not only attacks edible and medicinal fungi, it also causes the damages to leek, green onion, garlic and other vegetable crops. To confirm the effects of temperature and sex ratio on adult fecundity, longevity and egg hatchability of B. difformis, we assayed the adults survival longevity and numbers of oviposition, as well as egg hatching rate under female-male ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:1 and 3:1 at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C. Female fecundity and egg hatchability were increased with temperature and peaked at 25°C, which, however, were adverse to adult longevity. Furthermore, female-male ratio of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 seemed suitable for female fecundity, of which the sex ratio of 1:1 was the most suitable ratio for its oviposition behavior. These results provide an insight for predicting the population density of B. difformis and offer a literature reference in the effective treatment of harmful insects by controlling and changing the sex ratio artificially.
Highlights
Bradysia difformis Frey (Diptera, Nematocera, Sciaridae and Bradysia) is a newly recorded species in mushroom greenhouses of China and becomes one of dominant pests causing heavy losses in edible and medicinal fungi [1,2,3,4], ornamental and flowering plants [5,6,7]
Mating and spawning ability are closely related to their female-male ratio structure, which influence the population growth of insect
Under a certain sex ratio, it is obviously known that higher the fecundity of adult is, faster the population growth is [29]
Summary
Bradysia difformis Frey (Diptera, Nematocera, Sciaridae and Bradysia) is a newly recorded species in mushroom greenhouses of China and becomes one of dominant pests causing heavy losses in edible and medicinal fungi [1,2,3,4], ornamental and flowering plants [5,6,7]. According to the investigation from 2012 to 2013, B. difformis, attacks edible fungi, and causes damages to leek, green onion, garlic and other vegetable crops [8]. It has become one of the main pests in leek growing areas of Tianshui, Gansu, China [8], and often occurs with B. odoriphaga Yang et Zhang [9]. Temperature may directly exert an important influence on the metabolism of insects, and its metabolic rate varies with the temperature [12,15]
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