Culture Techniques for Rearing Soil Anthropods

Excerpt: Interest in soil biology has been prompted by recent investigations into the action of insecticides on plants and animals. Observations in the field must be supplemented by laboratory investigations conducted under controlled conditions. Consequently, it becomes necessary to rear and handle soil animals under artificial situations for bio-assay and life cycle studies. When large numbers of individuals are required, special problems in maintenance and manipulation arise. Relatively inexpensive and simple methods for such projects are essential and this paper describes some of those techniques which we have found expedient

Improved techniques for rearing Anopheles freeborni.

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A Method for Rearing Large Quantities of the Damselfly, Ischnura ramburii (Odonata: Coenagrionidae), in the Laboratory

Laboratory based experimental designs typically require large sample sizes of genetically related organisms at the same developmental stage. Several described methods for rearing damselflies have been published, but these methods require laborious techniques when rearing large quantities of damselflies simultaneously. We have developed a relatively easy and inexpensive method for rearing large quantities of a coenagrionid damselfly that streamlines previously published methods and employs new techniques that increase efficiency and yield. Culturing large numbers of damselflies in the laboratory is manageable and opens diverse research avenues

Storage and Behavior of Plant and Diet-Fed Adult Cereal Leaf Beetle, Oulema Melanopus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

The univoltine life cycle of the cereal leaf beetle Oulema melanopus (L.) in Michigan (Castro et al. 1965) is similar to that reported by Venturi (1942) in Europe. Adults emerge from pupal cells in the soil in mid-June to early July, feed voraciously for about three weeks, and enter aestivation sites. For the remainder of the summer and early autumn only a few adults can be found feeding on late-maturing native grasses. The beetles overwinter and usually emerge in late March to early April and resume feeding. Mating and oviposition occur, and larval development is usually completed by late June in southern Michigan. Techniques for rearing the cereal leaf beetle on greenhouse-grown small grain seedlings have been developed by Connin, et al. (1968). Maintaining these cultures requires collecting field adults, growing host material, and handling the cultures to insure that all stages will be available for study. In Michigan during July adults can be collected more economically and in greater numbers in the field than by rearing in the laboratory. A summary of collection techniques, laboratory feeding and storage conditions for large numbers of field-collected cereal leaf beetles is presented in this paper. In addition, the mortality during storage of newly emerged field collected beetles fed either barley seedlings or an artificial diet is compared

Investment prospects in the production of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings in freshwater ponds

Since the introduction of Common carp Cyprinus carpio in Oyo State (Nigeria) from Israel in 1964, various local breeding methods have been employed in carp rearing to improve the survival rate at all stages of development during breeding. The physico-chemical parameters of the ponds which were simultaneously investigated for carp rearing in this study includes temperature (t), dissolved oxygen (DO) and hydrogen-ion concentration (pH). However, high rates of water displacement in the breeding ponds were unfavourable to the development of zooplankton which play important role in the food web of C. carpio. The survival rates of 15.88-69.50% and 19.60-33.83% obtained for the egg-hatchling and hatchling-fingerling stages respectively were encouraging. A breeding performance of this magnitude was found to be viable, breaking even in the fourth year. However, an increase in size of this trial project would be more profitable and increase fingerling supply as well as provide employment opportunities. This study thereby provides some baseline information on some local techniques and progress in the propagation of C. carpio and scope for further improvemen

Hatchery Production of Shrimp Seeds

T he pioneering efforts of Hudinaga in the successful spawning of Penaeus japonicus under controlled conditions and their subsequent rearing upto the juvenile stage have paved way for the large scale hatchery production of seed of penaeid prawns for aquaculture. There are two basic hatchery techniques for mass rearing of larvae of penaeid prawns - Japanese techniques and Galveston technique. These techniques have been appropriately modified to suit different geographical and climatic conditions and different species of prawns used for aquaculture. Thus m any gradations between these two techniques have been noticed in different parts of the world. Som etim es combinations o f these two techniques have also been used

An improved method to produce adults of Costelytra zealandica White (Coleoptera: Melolothinae) from field-collected larvae

Rearing techniques provide a unique opportunity to study aspects of insect ecology, behaviour and physiology. Both the larval and adult stages in Melolonthinae scarabs have important impacts on crop and pasture yields worldwide. Rearing techniques for this group of phytophagous beetles usually results in a low survival rate from larva to adult, varying from 10% to 50%. Here, the current rearing method used for the New Zealand grass grub (Costelytra zealandica) was improved by increasing the pupation weight threshold, as well as by changing the container type used to rear the larvae. This improved method produced an 83% increase in the survival rate from larva to adult, and the technique developed here may help increase the laboratory survival rate of other Melolonthinae species worldwide

The laboratory culture and development of Helicoverpa Armigera

Techniques for the laboratory rearing of Helicoverpa armigera, an important pest of food crops in the Old World tropics, are described. Methods for rearing all stages of the insect are given, including recepies for artificial diets and recommendations for the recognition and control of disease. The effects of various environmental factors on development in the laboratory are described