Calling Behavior of the Potato Stem Borer,Hydraecia micaceaEsper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in the Laboratory and the Field

Abstract

The calling behavior of virgin females of 1- to 4-day-old Hydraecia micacea was examined in the laboratory and field. In the laboratory, 84% of females and 100% in the field began calling during their first scotophase. Maximum calling occurred between the fifth and eighth hours of a 10-h scotophase, the number and duration of calling bouts varying considerably within the same age class. The total duration of calling of 1-day-old females was significantly shorter than that of older females. Females in the field called earlier and for longer times than those in the laboratory.