POPULATION DYNAMICS OF THE WHEAT STEM SAWFLY, CEPHUS CINCTUS (HYMENOPTERA: CEPHIDAE), IN WHEAT

Abstract

AbstractThe effects of the major factors on populations of the wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton, were studied in the field at Lethbridge, Alberta between 1970 and 1977. Fecundity of the females, which contain an average of 32.7 eggs, is influenced by the condition and variety of host plants in which they develop as larvae. Populations of the adults that emerge from infested crops cut 7–9% by the larvae in one year may infest 70–80% of the stems of adjacent crops in the following year. Increased adult densities, however, fail to increase markedly the percentage of stems infested because the adults concentrate at field margins when they reinfest the most preferred stems. Because only one larva can mature in each stem, competition within stems that receive more than one egg causes a major drop in the population but not in the percentage of infested stems cut. Another major drop is caused by host plant resistance, which is influenced in both susceptible and resistant wheats by the weather during the growing season. On an average, all of the larvae die in 28% of the infested stems of two susceptible wheats and in 67% of those of a resistant wheat. The mortality in resistant wheats, however, is generally not sufficient to prevent economic infestations in subsequent years. Parasitism, which was a major factor in only 7 of 36 years in southern Alberta, is increased by weather conditions that cause delayed ripening of the wheat crops. The mortality of mature larvae and pupae averaged 21.3%. It is affected by extremes of moisture and temperature and can be increased slightly by shallow tillage of infested stubble.