Food Relations of the Wheat Stem Sawfly, Cephus cinctus Nort. (Hymenoptera: Cephidae)

Abstract

It has been shown by Farstad (1940) and Platt (1946, 1948) that resistance in wheat to the wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Nort., is positively correlated with solidness of stem. Under certain environmental conditions the resistant variety Rescue becomes susceptible to sawfly damage. The nature of this resistance is unknown, but a study of the nutritional requirements of C. cinctus may reveal it and perhaps assist in the development of new resistant varieties. The preliminary phases of this project were conducted with the following objectives: to studv the anatomy of the larval organs of ingestion and digestion; to determine the plant tissues ingested by the larva; and to study the hydrolytic enzymes present in feeding larvae.