Hostname: page-component-788cddb947-m6qld Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-10-14T05:04:25.885Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of constant temperature on egg development in the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria (Forsk.)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Philip Hunter-Jones
Philip Hunter-Jones
Affiliation:
Anti-Locust Research Centre, College House, Wrights Lane, London
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Laboratory studies were conducted on the incubation period of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forsk.). When egg-pods were incubated at constant temperature, the duration of the incubation period ranged from 50 days at 19·7°C to 11–12 days at 35–41 °C. The colour of the resulting hatchlings showed dependence on temperature, ranging from grey-white at 41 °C to overall black at 20°C. The minimum temperature at which embryonic development took place was 15·1°C, while the minimum temperature for the hatching sequence was about 20–24°C. The upper lethal limit for embryonic development depended both on temperature and on the duration of exposure of the eggs to that temperature. For example, constant temperatures above 38°C throughout development reduced viability, but exposure to 40°C for six hours each day did not adversely affect development or hatching. Between 15·1 and 35°C the rate of egg development was proportional to temperature; above 35°C the rate appeared to be constant and independent of temperature. Embryonic development was complete when the eggs had experienced 224 degree-days above 15·1°C, except at temperatures in excess of 35°C.

Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 59 , Issue 4 , April 1970 , pp. 707 - 718
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1970

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

BaLLard, E.. Mistikawi, A. M. & El Zoheiry, M. S. (1932). The desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forsk., in Egypt.—Bull. Minist. Agric. Egypt tech. scient. Serv. no. 110, 149 pp.Google Scholar
Beament, J. W. L. (1959). The waterproofing mechanism of arthropods. I. The effect of temperature on cuticle permeability in terrestrial insects and ticks.—J. exp. Biol. 36, 391–422.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellis, P. E. & Ashall, C. (1957). Field studies on diurnal behaviour, movement and aggregation in the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forskål).—Anti-Locust Bull. no. 25, 94 pp.Google Scholar
Hunter-Jones, P. (1957). An albino strain of the desert locust.—Nature, Lond. 180 no. 4479, 236–237.Google Scholar
Hunter-Jones, P. (1964). Egg development in the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forsk.) in relation to the availability of water.—Proc. R. ent. Soc. Lond. (A) 39, 25–33.Google Scholar
Hunter-Jones, P. (1966). Rearing and breeding locusts in the laboratory.—12 pp. London, Anti-Locust Research Centre.Google Scholar
Hussein, M. (1937). The effect of temperature on locust activity.—Bull. Minist. Agric. Egypt tech. scient. Serv. no. 184, 55 pp.Google Scholar
Johnson, C. G. (1940). Development, hatching and mortality of the eggs of Cimex lectularius L. (Hemiptera) in relation to climate, with observations on the effects of preconditioning to temperature.—Parasitology 32, 127–173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le Berre, J.-R. (1953). Contribution à l'étude biologique du criquet migrateur des Landes (Locusta migratoria gallica Remaudière).—Bull, biol., Fr. Belg. 87, 227–273.Google Scholar
Lin, S., Hodson, A. C. & Richards, A. G. (1954). An analysis of threshold temperatures for the development of Oncopeltus and Tribolium eggs.—Physiol. Zool. 27, 287–311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Messenger, P. S. & Flitters, N. E. (1958). Effect of constant temperature environments on the egg stage of three species of Hawaiian fruit flies.—Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 51, 109–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norris, M. J. (1968). Laboratory experiments on oviposition responses of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forsk.).—Anti-Locust Bull. no. 43, 47 pp.Google Scholar
Rainey, R. C. (1951). Weather and the movement of locust swarms: a new hypothesis.—Nature, Lond. 168 no. 4286, 1057–1060.Google Scholar
Rainey, R. C. (1963). Meteorology and the migration of desert locusts. Applications of synoptic meteorology in locust control.—Anti-Locust Mem. no. 7, 115 pp.Google Scholar
Ramachandra Rao, Y. (1942). Some results of studies on the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria, Forsk.) in India.—Bull. ent. Res. 33, 241–265.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramachandra Rao, Y. (1960). The desert locust in India.—Monogr. Indian Coun. agric. Res. no. 21, 721 pp.Google Scholar
Rungs, C. (1933). Observations préliminaires sur la résistance au froid de Schistocerca gregaria Forsk.—Revue Path. vég. Ent. agric. Fr. 20, 314–322.Google Scholar
Stower, W. J., Popov, G. B. & Greathead, D. J. (1958). Oviposition behaviour and egg mortality of the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forskål) on the coast of Eritrea.—Anti-Locust Bull. no. 30, 33 pp.Google Scholar