Fecundity and egg distribution of the herbivore Spodoptera pectinicornis as influenced by quality of the floating aquatic plant Pistia stratiotes

Abstract

AbstractWe determined the influence of larval host quality of the floating aquatic weed Pistia stratiotes L. (Araceae) on the fecundity and egg distribution of the biological control agent Spodoptera pectinicornis (Hampson) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Different nutritional levels were produced by growing plants with relatively low and high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Female and male pupal biomass were significantly greater when the larvae were fed leaves from the high fertilizer plants. Although the fertilizer treatments did not significantly influence total fecundity, there was an indirect effect as adults from larger pupae were more fecund. Regardless of treatment, ovipositing females formed a depression in the leaf surface by removing trichomes into which they deposited the egg masses. Most of the egg masses were laid on the lower leaf surface, on leaf positions 5–8 (counting from the young inner to the outer leaves) and during days 1–2 post‐eclosion. Most of the eggs were laid in masses but about 12% were solitary. Females fed the low fertilizer treatment laid a greater proportion (mean ± s.e.) of their eggs as solitary eggs (17.3 ± 3.4% of total eggs) than did females fed the high fertilizer treatment (8.3 ± 2.3% of total eggs). The increased percentage of solitary eggs laid by the females from the low quality larval diet may be an adaptive response to decrease competition among the progeny.