THE USE OF DEGREE-DAYS TO PREDICT EMERGENCE OF THE APPLE MAGGOT, RHAGOLETIS POMONELLA (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE), IN ONTARIO

Abstract

AbstractAdult flies of the apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh), were monitored for 6 years at Guelph, Ontario using aerial and ground-emergence traps. Two degree-day (°D) models to predict adult emergence were tested. Fifty percent of the adults were captured in an average of 809 ± 50 (SD) °D8.7 and first capture was at 638 ± 60°D6.4. Degree-day models which have been proposed previously and those developed in this study were only slightly more accurate than average calendar date for predicting adult emergence. Differences in °D requirements for emergence in each year were correlated with the length of cold period and the correlation suggested that the length of cold period preceding morphogenesis affects either the number of °D required to complete postdiapause development or the threshold temperature for development.