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DiatraeasaccharalisF. is a major pest to maize,sorghum and sugarcane crops in Latin America and the mostdamaging insect pest of maize in Argentina. Female moths lay their eggs on lower and upper sides of leaves and sheathsof corn plants. Oviposition behaviour of different species of corn stem borers is influenced by host plant phenology indifferent ways. Host pubescence affects oviposition behaviour in different species of caterpillars. Ovipositionpreferences for phenological stages,leaf surface and vertical distribution in corn plants were investigated. Corn plots of120 m 2 were sown with a Pioneer pubescent cultivar in six planting dates,each one replicated three times according to acompletely randomized design. Throughout the season 14 samplings were carried out,during which plants wererandomly chosen within each of the six treatments and exhaustively examined in order to count the number of eggmasses and their location in the leaf surface and in the vertical structure of the plant. Diatraeasaccharalispreferredlaying their eggs on the lower sides of leaves located in the middle stratum of corn plants whose phenological stageswere older than V10. Our study suggests that attention should be paid to the influence of crop phenological stage in thelocation of egg masses in futures studies,as oviposition preference can change through plant maturation.Key words: Diatraeasaccharalis,maize,oviposition preferences,plant–insect relationship |
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