›› 2013, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (6): 671-679.

• RESEARCH PAPERS •

### Effects of temperature on the growth and development of Pyralis farinalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), one insect used for producing insect tea in China

SHANG Xiao-Li1, YANG Mao-Fa1,*, ZHANG Chang-Rong1,2, CAI Lan3, FENG You-Li1, QIU Ting1

1.  (1. Guizhou Key Laboratory for Plant Pests Management of Mountainous Region,  Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China； 2. Institute of Insect Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China； 3. Agricultural Bureau of Xifeng County, Xifeng, Guizhou 551100, China)
• Online:2013-06-20 Published:2013-06-20

Abstract: In order to reveal the effects of temperature on the growth and development of Pyralis farinalis (Linnaeus) on host plant Litsea coreana, one insect used for producing insect tea in China, a laboratory experiment was conducted to study the mean developmental duration, developmental rate, and survival rate of P. farinalis at 31, 28, 25, 22 and 19℃. The developmental threshold temperature and effective accumulated temperature of P. farinalis in egg, larval, pupal and immature stages were also calculated. The results showed that temperature had significant effects on the developmental duration, developmental rate and survival rate of P. farinalis. The developmental duration of egg, larva, pupa and immature stage of P. farinalis reduced with increasing temperatures from 19 to 31℃, and was the shortest at 31℃, being 4.56±0.24, 43.33±1.50, 7.89±0.20 and 55.78±1.69 d, respectively. There also existed remarkable significant quadratic regression relationships between the temperature and developmental rates of P. farinalis. In addition, the temperature had significant effects on survival rate of P. farinalis. The survival rate of eggs was the highest at 28℃, being 93%, while those of larvae and pupae were the highest at 25℃, being 88% and 93%, respectively, and excessively high or low temperature was unfavorable to its survival. Based on the direct optimal method, the developmental threshold temperatures of P. farinalis in egg, larval, pupal and immature stages were 13.30, 15.48, 13.19 and 14.82℃, respectively, and the corresponding effective accumulated temperatures were 88.36, 679.51, 159.73 and 952.04 day-degrees, respectively. The results provide a basis for rearing P. farinalis and are applicable in productive practice of insect tea.