Rearing of trilobed male uncus Ostrinia species in laboratory for experimental purposes

Abstract

Insect rearing on artificial diets allows to solve a wide range of entomological tasks. During decades passed after publication of the pioneer paper written by G. Bottger (1942) devoted to cultivation of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, a lot of diets have been developed both for laboratory and mass rearing of insects. The paper briefly reviews published material dedicated to technique of rearing harmful Ostrinia species in the world as well as contains detailed description of procedures used in All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection for rearing the European corn borer, O. nubilalis, the Asian corn borer, O. furnacalis and adzuki bean borer, O. scapulalis on the basis of the universal diet including mix of wheat germs, soybean and corn flour. The paper describes rearing details of Ostrinia representatives providing live material of a various genetic origin which exhibit reactions statistically indistinguishable from those displayed by individuals taken from nature.