Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-25wd4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-29T17:37:33.190Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

BIONOMICS OF THE ALFALFA BLOTCH LEAFMINER, AGROMYZA FRONTELLA (DIPTERA: AGROMYZIDAE), IN EASTERN ONTARIO1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

J. C. Guppy
J. C. Guppy
Affiliation:
Ottawa Research station, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa K1A 0C6
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The alfalfa blotch leafminer, Agromyza frontella (Rondani), typically develops through three complete generations a year. It overwinters as a partially developed pupa that completes its development in mid-May. Three distinct adult flight periods occur: mid-May to mid-June, late June to late July, and early to late August. Eggs are deposited singly in alfalfa leaflets beneath the lower epidermis and on hatching, the larvae move toward the upper leaflet surface where they feed on the mesophyll and develop through three instars to form blotch mines, each representing about 27% of the leaflet area. The mature larvae emerge from the mines and drop to the soil to form light brown puparia, mainly in the top 2.5 cm of soil.

Duration of each stage decreased with rise in temperature up to 25° but none of the stages survived 30°C. Developmental rates plotted against temperature gave highly correlated linear relationships for all stages. The theoretical threshold for the egg, larva, and pupa was 7°, 3°, and 4°C, respectively; thermal requirements for these stages were 55, 123, and 333°D, respectively.

Survival of the larvae was higher in leaflets with solitary mines than in those with multiple mines; only 25% of the leaflets with two mines gave rise to two mature larvae. Three larvae seldom survived in a single leaflet.

Résumé

La mineuse agromyze de la luzerne, Agromyza frontella (Rondani), est typiquement trivoltine. Elle hiverne sous forme de pupe partiellement formée qui complète son développement à la mi-mai. On observe trois périodes distinctes d’envol des adultes, soit de la mi-mai à la mi-juin, de la fin juin à la fin juillet et du début à la fin août. Les œufs sont déposés un par un sous l’épiderme inférieur des folioles de luzerne et après l’éclosion, les larves gagnent la face supérieure des folioles où elles se nourrissent du mésophylle et passent par trois stades de croissance en y creusant des galeries dont chacune représente environ 27% de la surface foliaire. Les larves matures sortent des galeries et tombent au sol où elles forment des puparia brun clair, principalement dans les 2,5 premiers centimètres de sol.

La durée de chaque stade diminue avec l’élévation de la température jusqu’à 25°C, mais aucun des stades ne survit à une température de 30°C. La mise en graphique des taux de développement en fonction de la température donne des rapports linéaires fortement corrélés pour les stades. Les seuils théoriques pour l’œuf, la larve et la pupe sont de 7°, 3° et 4°C respectivement; les besoins thermiques de ces stades sont de 55, 123 et 333 degrés-jours respectivement.

La survie des larves est plus élevée dans les folioles percées d’un seul tunnel que dans celles affichant de nombreux tunnels; en effet, seulement 25% des folioles présentant 2 galeries ont rendu deux larves à maturité. Trois larves survivent rarement dans une seule et même foliole.

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 113 , Issue 7 , July 1981 , pp. 593 - 600
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1981

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bollow, H. 1955. Ein Massenauftreten der Minierfliege Agromyza frontanella Rond. an Luzerne. Pflanzenschutz 7: 141–143 (in German).Google Scholar
Dureseau, L. Jr., and Jeandel, D., 1977. Alfalfa blotch leafminer (Diptera: Agromyzidae) laboratory studies of biology in Europe. Proc. ent. Soc. Wash. 79: 259–265.Google Scholar
Guppy, J. C. and Harcourt, D. G.. 1977. The alfalfa blotch leaf miner in eastern Ontario, 1977. Proc. 14th Ann. Northeast Invitational Alfalfa Insects Conf., Burlington, Vermont.Google Scholar
Harcourt, D. G. 1973. Agromyza frontella (Rond.) (Diptera: Agromyzidae): A pest of alfalfa new to Canada. Ann. ent. Soc. Québ. 18: 49–51.Google Scholar
Harcourt, D. G. and Binns, M. R.. 1980 a. A sampling system for estimating egg and larval populations of Agromyza frontella (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in alfalfa. Can. Ent. 112: 375–385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harcourt, D. G. and Binns, M. R.. 1980 b. Sampling techniques for the soil-borne stages of Agromyza frontella (Diptera: Agromyzidae). Great Lakes Ent. 13: 159–164.Google Scholar
Helgesen, R. G. 1976. Biology and management of the alfalfa blotch leafminer. Rep. 25th Alfalfa Improvement Conf., Cornell Univ., Ithaca, N.Y.Google Scholar
Hendrickson, R. M. Jr., and Barth, S. E.. 1978. Biology of the alfalfa blotch leafminer. Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 71: 295–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mellors, W. K. 1979. Modeling for pest management: Analysis of inherent developmental rate variation and environmental temperature variation for the alfalfa blotch leafminer, Agromyza frontella (Rondani) (Diptera: Agromyzidae). Ph.D. Thesis, Cornell University, 1979. 184 pp.Google Scholar
Mellors, W. K. and Helgesen, R. G.. 1978. Developmental rates for the alfalfa blotch leafminer, Agromyza frontella, at constant temperatures. Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 71: 886–888.Google Scholar
Miller, D. E. and Jensen, G. L.. 1970. Agromyzid alfalfa leaf miners and their parasites in Massachusetts. J. econ. Ent. 63: 1337–1338.Google Scholar
Morris, R. F. and Fulton, W. C.. 1970. Models for the development and survival of Hyphantria cunea in relation to temperature and humidity. Mem. ent. Soc. Can. 70. 60 pp.Google Scholar
Thompson, L. S. 1974. Alfalfa blotch leafminer, Agromyza frontella (Rond.). Can. Agric. Insect Pest Rev. 52: 5.Google Scholar