Rearing non-diapausing western spruce budworm on pre-mixed artificial diet

The western spruce budworm, Choristoneura occidentalis Freeman, was reared on pre-mixed artificial diet in the laboratory without diapause. The colony was maintained indefinitely with a generation time of 38 to 40 days. Females deposited an average of 307 eggs of which about 91% survived. The rearing technique provided a steady and reliable supply of the insects for other basic research. The supply of insects could be adjusted according to need at any particular time.Sanitation is essential to successful rearing, because contamination of dict or rearing facilities produces an unsuitable environment for the survival and development of newly-hatched larvae

Rearing non-diapausing western spruce budworm on pre-mixed artificial diet

The western spruce budworm, C. occidentalis Freeman, was reared on pre-mixed artificial diet in the laboratory without diapause. The colony was maintained indefinitely with a generation time of 38-40 days. Females deposited an average of 307 eggs of which about 91% survived. The rearing technique provided a steady and reliable supply of the insects for other basic research. The supply of insects could be adjusted according to need at any particular time. Sanitation is essential to successful rearing, because contamination of diet or rearing facilities produces an unsuitable environment for the survival and development of newly-hatched larvae

Toxicity and relative selectivity of acephate to target and non-target organisms

Aspects of toxicity and activity of acephate were studied in non-diapausing, laboratory-bred larvae of Choristoneura occidentalis Freeman, larvae of Anagasta kuehneilla (Zeller), and in male Wistar rats. Inhibition of human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in vitro was also investigated. Topically applied acephate was twice as toxic to last-instar larvae of C. occidentalis as to last-instar larvae of A. kuehniella. However, it was less toxic to C. occidentalis larvae than methamidophos or paraxon. These results were supported by a series of in-vitro experiments in which anti-AChE activity decreased in the order: paraoxon methamidophos acephate. There was indication that acephate per se inhibits AChE in vitro in proportion to its toxicity in vivo