Differences in nutritional requirements of adult codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), from field and laboratory populations

Abstract

The codling moth Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is one of the most important pests in apple production. The provision of sugar resources improved adult fitness of this species in laboratory studies and could also be enhanced in the field, for example, by naturally occurring carbohydrate sources in the orchard environment. In addition, the effects of sugar resources on field populations may differ from those of laboratory strains due to altered nutritional requirements. The survival of moths from overwintered field populations was compared with that of a non-diapausing laboratory strain in feeding experiments with water, two sugar solutions or buckwheat flowers. The effect of these diets was similar for all populations, yet moths from one field-collected strain lived shorter than those reared in the laboratory. In general, males lived about 3–5 days longer than females. The provision of glucose resulted in the highest survival of both sexes in all populations (24 days). Buckwheat nectar tended to slightly prolong the moths' lifespan compared to the water control (+3 days). Female fecundity was highly variable and was affected by adult diet. Similar to the results obtained under laboratory conditions, the provision of glucose and buckwheat nectar prolonged adult survival in associated field exposure experiments. In general, the nutritional requirements of adult codling moths did not vary according to their origin, even when reared continuously in the laboratory for many generations.