Overwintering Ecology of the Peach Pyralid Moth, Dichocrosis punctiferalis in Southern Regions of Korea

Abstract

Overwintering ecology of the peach pyralid moth, Dichocrosis punctiferalis Guenee (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was studied in laboratory and in a chestnut orchard in 2001/2002 winter and 2003 spring. All twenty-four female and fourteen male moths were fruit-feeding type which were emerged from the larvae collected at the same chestnut orchard in 2003 winter. Periodical thermal treatment of overwintering larvae at revealed that diapause termination of the larval population started from the end of January and was completed until April 20 in southern region of Korea. Pupation of diapause-terminated larvae started from early May and reached to at June 3 in chestnut orchard. Days to pupation of female larvae after diapause termination were 12.5, 8.9, and 7.5 at , and , respectively. Those of male larvae were similar to those of females. Pupal periods of female were 14.7, 11.8, and 9.0 days at the three temperatures. Moths of the overwintered generation emerged from May 20 to June 28, and reached to emergence on June 8 to 9 under emergence cage. Attraction of the male moths of overwintered generation to sex pheromone traps showed that the date of catches to the traps were June 17, when data from 3 southern regions of Korea were pooled.