Abstract
Electrophysiological tests were done on larval and adult stages of Chilo partellus. The first tarsomere on the forelegs of the moths has three pairs of sensilla; two of them have similar ultrastructural details and they are innervated by gustatory cells which respond equally well to maize leaf exudate but differ in their sensitivity to sucrose. Although the third pair has morphological features resembling those of contact chemoreceptor, it responds to mechanical stimulation only. Taste sensilla on the ovipositor are more sensitive to NaCl than sucrose and they respond to the unknown components in the maize leaf exudate. On the larval maxillae the lateral styloconica sensilla are very sensitive to sucrose and the aqueous extracts from susceptible and resistant maize cultivars; the medial styloconica sensilla are mainly sensitive to NaCl and the aqueous exudate from maize stems. Preliminary tests showed that treated maize piths can provide a suitable medium for the bioassay of larval feeding behaviour.
Résumé
Des tests électrophysiologiques ont été faits sur le Chilo partellus au stade larvaire et adulte. Le premier tarsomère sur les avant pattes des insectes a trois pairs de sensilla; deux desquelles ont des détails structurels similaires et elles sont innervées par de cellules du goût qui réagissent aussi bien à l’exudat de la feuille de mais maïs diffèrent quant à leur sensibilité au sucrose. Quoique la troisième paire a des aspects morphologiques ayant une ressemblance avec ceux du chemorecepteur de contact, elle ne réagit qu’à la stimulation mécanique. Les sensilla gastotoires sur l’ovipositeur sont plus sensibles au NaCl qu’au sucrose et elles réagissent aux composés inconnus dans l’exudat de la feuille de maïs. Les sensilla stylonica latéraux sur les maxillae larvaires sont très sensibles au sucrose ainsi que aux extraits aqueux provenant des cultivars de maïs susceptibles et resistants; les sensilla styloconica mediales sont surtout sensibles au NaCl et l’exudat acqueux provenant des tiges de maïs. Des tests préliminaires ont montré que des plants de maïs traité peuvent constituer un milieu adéquat pour l’essai biologique sur le comportement alimentaire larvaire.
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Waladde, S.M., Kahoro, H.M., Kokwaro, E.D. et al. Responses of Chilo partellus to Material Obtained from Susceptible and Resistant Maize Cultivars. Int J Trop Insect Sci 6, 341–347 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400004616
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742758400004616