Laboratory evaluation of flight activity of the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract  The flight activity of Spodoptera litura in tethered conditions is evaluated using a computer-mediated flight-mill in the laboratory. The 3–4-day-old moths fly longer and farther than those of other ages. Male and female moths exhibit similar flight activity. Mating status does not influence the flight duration and distance of 2-day-old females. However, these two flight parameters with a 6-day-old mated female is significantly lower than that of unmated ones. The optimum temperature for flight ranged from 16–24°C, whereas the optimum RH ranged from 60%–100%. During 72-h period, the total flight duration and distance of 1-day-old male and female moths were 19.6 h (± 5.8) and 83.3 km (± 28.4), and 24.0 h (± 7.0) and 105.4 km (± 37.4), respectively. These results indicate that S. litura has a great potential to undertake long-distance migratory flights.     

粘虫飞行过程中四种相关酶的活性变化

对3日龄粘虫雌蛾吊飞过程中4种相关酶3-羟酰辅酶A脱氢酶(HOAD)、3-磷酸甘油醛脱氢酶(GAPDH)、3-磷酸甘油脱氢酶(GDH)和乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)的研究结果表明,在室内条件下,粘虫在吊飞过程中其能量代谢有以下特点： 在吊飞的初始5 min,所有与糖代谢和脂肪代谢相关的酶活性都快速升高,这段时期脂肪代谢的酶活性也完全被活化,HOAD活性明显增强;但在随后的5～60 min持续吊飞期间与能量代谢有关的酶活性都有所下降,表明此时飞行活性趋于平稳。飞行中的粘虫具有极高的有氧代谢能力,也具备一定的无氧代谢能力。吊飞过程中HOAD∶GAPDH大于1,说明粘虫飞行过程中能源物质利用属于混合型,但动用脂肪比糖类要多。     

The reproduction-flight syndrome and the inheritance of tethered-flight activity in the cotton-bollworm moth, Heliothis armigera

Abstract. To test the hypothesis that the flight activity of Heliothis armigera (Hiibner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) conforms to the 'oogenesis-fiight syndrome', female moths from India and Malawi were flight tested on nights 2, 4 and 6 after eclosion, using a tethered-flight technique. Maximum flight activity in the Indian strain occurred on night 2, that of the Malawian strain was not significantly different on the three nights of flight. This difference is explained by the Indian females reaching reproductive maturity c . 48 h before the Malawian females. The existence of a 'reproduction-flight syndrome' was confirmed by flight testing males and females of different maturity status on the fourth night after eclosion. Immature moths flew significantly more than did either mature-virgin or mature-mated moths. The inheritance of tethered-flight activity in a late-maturing line of Malawian H. armigera was investigated. Significant estimates of heritability, by offspring on mid-parent regressions, were obtained for both the total flight time (0.39 æ 0.083) and the longest flight (0.15 ± 0.058). The significance of such tethered-flight data to noctuid migration in the field is discussed, and the conclusion drawn that the current experimental design does not index migratory flight satisfactorily.