Life cycle of Euxoa agricola Boisduval, 1829 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Yasouj, Iran

Abstract

This study was carried out on E. agricola life cycle in Yasouj from 2010 to 2011. The sampling was carried out weekly by two stage cluster sampling method in nature. For the life cycle studies, the eggs were collected from the nature and were developed in petri dishes and 15 × 20 plastic dishes under laboratory conditions (27 ± 1 o C and 24 ± 1 o C, 65% ± 10 RH and 16:8 L:D). The results indicate that the adults emerge gradually from hibernated larvae in April 2010. This moth has one generation a year. Incubation periods of eggs are 2.9 ± 0.1 and 3.8 ± 0.1 days; developmental periods of larvae are 17.1 ± 0.4 and 20.7 ± 0.4 and for pupae 9.3 ± 0.1 and 13.5 ± 0.2 days under temperatures of 27 and 24 o C at the laboratory conditions respectively. The total period from egg to adult was 27.8 ± 0.7 and 35.8 ± 0.5 days in 27 and 24 o C respectively at laboratory condition.