Effect of temperature and diet on Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) development with special reference to Isomegalen diagram and accumulated degree days

• Main Authors: F. Defilippo, A. Grisendi, S. Savoldelli, D. Torri, M. Dottori, P. Bonilauri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: PAGEPress Publications 2019-08-01
• Series: Journal of Entomological and Acarological Research
• Subjects: Accumulated degree day; Indian meal Moth; stored-product pests; food infestation
• Online Access: https://pagepressjournals.com/index.php/jear/article/view/7855

Immature development times of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella were studied in the laboratory at four different constant temperatures (20, 23, 25, 27°C) reared on a standard diet (D1) and chocolate (D2). The minimal duration of development from oviposition to adult emergence was inversely related to temperature, ranging from 2.3±0.36 days to 50.5±0.5 days for D1 and from 36.7±0.53 days to 106.73±1.10 days for D2 for 27°C and 20°C, respectively. The minimum development threshold (tL), obtained from linear regression model of the development rates at the four studied constant temperature regimes, for total immature development is 15.3°C and 17.1°C for D1 and D2, respectively and the accumulated degree days (ADD) for P. interpunctella is 249.51°C for D1 and 358.4°C for D2 above the threshold.