PUPACIÓN, EMERGENCIA DE ADULTOS Y OVIPOSICIÓN DE Comadia redtenbacheri (LEPIDOPTERA: COSSIDAE) EN VIVERO.

To determine conditions for establishing Comadia redtenbacheri (Hammerschmidt) cultures in a nursery, tests on production of the insect were conducted. Pots that contained loam soil and five agave plants approximately three years old were used. On these plants, larvae (>0.30 g) were released to induce pupation and adult emergence. The larvae were placed at densities of 200, 400 and 600 per pot with three replications distributed at random. To quantify adult emergence and oviposition on the agaves, pupal exuviae were counted and egg masses were weighed. Numbers of emerged adults were different: 15.9 % in pots with 600 larvae, 1.1 % with 400 larvae and 5.3 % with 200 larvae (p⩽0.05). Weight of egg masses were also different: 0.9609 g with 600 larvae, 0.1257 g with 400 larvae and 0.2694 g with 200 larvae (p⩽0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]