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Effects of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on Flight Performance of Ostrinia furnacalis

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Abstract

The Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis, is the most notorious corn pest in East Asia and Oceania. The larvae seriously damage crops and lower yields. A previous study found that the O. furnacalis can migrate seasonally. However, the influencing factor on the flight performance of this pest has not yet been investigated. Here, the flight performance and its influencing factors of O. furnacalis were tested using computer-monitored flight mills. The results showed that the longest total flight of an individual was 71.49 km with a mean speed of 6.36 km·h−1 (1.77 m·s−1). Flight performance reached the peak when the moths were 2-days old, with a mean flight distance of 18.89 ± 2.03 km, mean flight duration of 7.34 ± 0.62 h and mean flight speed of 2.47 ± 0.10 km·h−1 (0.69 m·s−1). The flight capability of females was always higher than that of males. Mating status and nutritional status affected partial flight variables. For both sexes, only temperature and relative humidity among the abiotic factors significantly involved flight performance, which was most significant at 25–30 °C and 55–65%. Our study demonstrated that O. furnacalis have a high capability for migration and determined the influencing factors on flight performance. These results provide essential information for forecasting and management of this pest.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Lu Wang and Lele Wang from Jining Normal University and Wenchang Son and the Institute of Plant Protection staff, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, for their contributions in moth collecting and larvae rearing. This research was supported by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (31727901 and 31621064) and China Agriculture Research System (CARS-15-19).

Funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (31727901 and 31621064) and China Agriculture Research System (CARS-15-19).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China

    Xiujing Shen

  2. State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No.12 Zhongguancun South St., Haidian District, Beijing, 100193, China

    Xiujing Shen, Jianglong Guo & Kongming Wu

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  1. Xiujing Shen
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KMW and XJS designed the research; XJS and JLG conducted experiments; XJS and KMW analyzed data and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kongming Wu.

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Shen, X., Guo, J. & Wu, K. Effects of Biotic and Abiotic Factors on Flight Performance of Ostrinia furnacalis. J Insect Behav 34, 240–253 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-021-09783-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-021-09783-z

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