Establishment of Various European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Races on Selected Cultivars of Snap Beans

Abstract

Cultivars of snap beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L., previously evaluated for levels of resistance to larvae of a single race of European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), were infested in greenhouse and field experiments with eggs from laboratory cultures of three races and an interracial hybrid. In the greenhouse, fewer larvae survived on the cultivars‘ Volare’ and‘ BBL-94’ (1.3 and 6.4%, respectively) than on‘ 77063’ and‘ BBL-92’ (11.8 and 11.7%, respectively). Although the establishment of larvae was very low for all experiments, particularly in the field (0-0.46%), we noted significant differences among the races. A bivoltine race of European corn borer, producing a pheromone blend of primarily (E)-11-tetradecenyl acetate, had the highest establishment, and a second hivoltine race and a univoltine race that shared a pheromone blend of primarily (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate had lower establishment rates. An interracial hybrid population that resulted from crossing the two parental bivoltine races had low to intermediate levels of establishment.