Developing Rearing Methods to Make Laboratory Research Possible

Research Issue

No adequate artificial diet or rearing methods existed for nun moth.  A method of rearing L. monacha on artificial diet would greatly simplify (no host foliage needed) the assessment of biological and chemical control agents, investigations of biology, behavior, and genetics, and improve reproducible results due to the standardization of the methods and diet ingredients used.  Several people have reared or have attempted to rear L. monacha on semisynthetic diets without much success.

Our Research

In this study the performance of L. monacha on several diets will be compared for two consecutive generations.  The performance parameters measured will be duration of various stages of the insect, larval survival, larval establishment, pupal weight, fecundity, mating success, sex ratio, percentage embryonation and hatch of eggs.  Various rearing techniques will also be compared.

Expected Outcomes

An artificial-diet-based rearing method will be developed for L. monacha which will allow research to continue year round, eliminate the need for host foliage, reduce resource requirements for rearing, and greatly simplify several research studies.

Research Results

The diet is agar based and contains wheat germ, vitamins, minerals, proteins, oils and other essential ingredients.  Larvae are reared initially in petri dishes then moved to paper cups (as shown in the photo) which provide a better substrate for the larger larvae (they roll around and get tangles in their own silk in plastic containers).  Smashed single-sided corrugated cardboard is provided to the females for an oviposition substrate.  The lab colony is now in its 22nd generation of continuous rearing.  

Research Participants

Principal Investigators

• Melody Keena, US Forest Service- Northern Research Station Research Entomologist
• Milan Svestka, Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Branch of Forestry, Czech Republic

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/disturbance/invasive_species/nun_moth/biology_ecology/rearing_methods/