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Diet-Mediated Termination of Boll Weevil Dormancy

Dale W. Spurgeon and Charles P.-C. Suh

ABSTRACT

Most studies of diapause in the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis Boheman) have focused on factors influencing its induction. A more complete understanding of this survival mechanism also requires knowledge of the factors controlling diapause termination. Termination responses of diapausing weevils exposed to a known reproductive diet (cotton squares) were evaluated. In separate experiments, the reproductive diet was provided either immediately after a 14-d diapause induction period, or after 1, 3, or 5 weeks of starvation following diapause induction. Male weevils did not terminate diapause when exposed to the reproductive diet immediately after the diapause induction period, while the proportion of diapause in females decreased from 0.92 to 0.67 after the diet switch. When weevils were starved between diapause induction and exposure to the reproductive diet, males terminated diapause more frequently as the duration of starvation increased, while females terminated diapause at comparable rates after all durations of starvation. Females remaining in diapause despite exposure to the reproductive diet more often declined to feed than females terminating the diapause. Feeding responses of males were less consistent and more difficult to interpret. Our results indicate marked differences in the termination responses of the respective weevil sexes, and suggest the potential roles of energetically expensive activities such as flight should be examined for their influence on the propensity of weevils to feed and terminate diapause.





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Document last modified April 16, 2003