The black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel), has been and continues to be the subject of many biological and control studies in the north-central states. Interest in this insect can often be traced to its status as a major, but sporadic pest of field com in the region

Clement, S. L

Levine, Eli

Schmidt, R. S

English

Valparaiso University

The Great Lakes Entomologist Volume 15 Number 1 - Spring 1982 Number 1 - Spring 1982 Article 7 April 1982 A Low Cost and Labor Efficient Method for Rearing Black Cutworms (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Eli Levine University of Illinois S. L. Clement USDA-SEA-AR R. S. Schmidt University of Minnesota Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle  Part of the Entomology Commons Recommended Citation Levine, Eli; Clement, S. L.; and Schmidt, R. S. 1982. "A Low Cost and Labor Efficient Method for Rearing Black Cutworms (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 15 (1) Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol15/iss1/7 This Peer-Review Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Biology at ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Great Lakes Entomologist by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu. 1982 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 47 A LOW COST AND LABOR EFFICIENT METHOD FOR REARING BLACK CUTWORMS (LEPIDOP"rERA: NOCTUIDAE)1 Eli Levine,2 S. L. Clement,3 and R. S. Schmidt4 The black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel), has been and continues to be the subject of many biological and control studies in the north-central states. Interest in this insect can often be traced to its status as a major, but sporadic pest of field com in the region. In order to conduct studies on the black cutworm, entomologists have often relied on laboratory-reared insects. Previous attempts to mass rear black cutworm larvae on plant parts such as red clover leaves have met with high rates of mortality (40-50%) due tocannibalism and disease (Harris et al. 1958). Rearing this species individually on insect diet (Reese et al. 1972), however, is very labor-intensive. Thus, over the past five years we have attempted to develop a procedure to rear black cutworms with a minimum investment of labor and low rate of mortality. This work began at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, but the method was perfected by the senior author at the Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign. With this method of culturing, 1st through 3rd or 4th instar larvae are reared on corn seedlings and the resulting older larvae are transferred to diet to complete larval development. This procedure has the added advantages that larvae reared partially on com and used in research studies, appear to make the transition to corn seedlings more easily than larvae reared completely on artificial diet, and diet costs are greatly reduced. METHODS AND MATERIALS Rearing was conducted in a 271°C, 70 5% RH, and 16:8 h photoperiod room. A culture was started in spring 1979 from adults collected in Champaign County, Illinois. Ten moths (ca. 50:50 sex ratio) were placed in each of several 31 x 15 x 61-cm plastic bags (8-cm pleats) supported by a 22 x 22 x 22-cm wire frame and closed with a twist tie. Approxi­mately 20 small holes were punched in each bag for ventilation. The cages were provided with a 60-ml plastic cup containing cotton soaked with 10% honey solution and one sheet of paper toweling. Towels were checked 3 times weekly for eggs. Groups of eggs were cut from the paper sheet, placed in 0.5-liter plastic cups with plastic lid  (5 pin holes were made in the lid to provide ventilation), and placed in a lOOC refrigerator until ready for use. Eggs were stored for up to one month without loss of viability. When larvae were needed, the plastic cups containing the eggs were transferred to the rearing room. Several leaves from young com seedlings (2-4 leaf stage plants) grown in flats in a greenhouse were placed in these containers to provide food for newly-emerged larvae. Containers were checked daily and new leaves added when the old ones had either dried out or been consumed. When most of the eggs had hatched (ca. 4-5 days), larvae were transferred en masse to large plastic containers (ca. 0.03 m3), lids of which were fitted with a 2 x 5-cm section of fine mesh screening. During very early larval development, most of the screened area was covered up with a petri dish top to maintain high humidity levels, but as larvae became larger (>2nd instar), this cover was removed. Fresh com leaves were added to the containers and decay­ing plant material was removed from the containers as needed. Several hundred larvae could be reared communally with this technique. We have found that we can rear larvae up to the IThis publication is a contribution of the Illinois Natural History Survey and the Illinois Agricultur­al Experiment Station, Conege of Agriculture, University of ntinois. 2Section of Economic Entomology, lIlinois Natural History Survey, and Office of Agricultural Ento­mology, University of lIlinois, Champaign, IL 61820. 3Biological Control of Weeds Laboratory, USDA-SEA-AR, 1050 San Pablo Avenue, Albany, CA 94706. 4Department of Entomology, Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Minnesota. St. Paul, MN 55108.1Levine et al.: A Low Cost and Labor Efficient Method for Rearing Black CutwormsPublished by ValpoScholar, 198248 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 15, No.1 Table I. Developmental time in days of black cutworm life stages under culture conditions outlined in text. Life stage Developmental time (n)a Egg 3.0 :!: 0.  (6 groups) Egg hatch to 3rd molt 6.9 :!: 0.3 (28) Egg hatch to 4th molt 10.4 :!: 0.4 (28) Larva (including pre-pupal stage) 31.4 :!: 0.6 (95) Pre-pupa 2.2 :!: 0.1 (95) Pupa 13.2 0.1 (95) Adult female, pre-ovipositional period 2.9 0.1 (8) Complete life cycle (oviposition to oviposition) 50.5 ax SEen). 3rd or 4th instar without significant cannabilism or outbreaks of disease. Larvae for on-going studies were easily removed with flexible-tipped forceps. To maintain the colony, approximately 75 3rd or 4th instar larvae were removed from the "communal" container on a weekly basis and individually reared on plugs of a meridic diet (Nielsen et al. 1980; 3 ml of mold inhibitor was used per batch of diet rather than 4% by weight, as specified by Nielsen t a1.), placed in 35-ml capped plastic cups. The plastic lining on the caps was oriented outward to prevent larvae from chewing through this moisture barrier. Larvae completed their development without further attention. Diet was made in quantity and frozen until needed. On a weekly basis, pupae were removed from the diet cups, washed free of debris with water, and placed en masse in a 0.5-liter plastic cup lined with a paper towel. Five pin holes were made in the plastic lids of these containers to provide ventilation. Pupae were stored in a lOoC refrigerator until ready for use. When adults were needed, the plastic cups containing the pupae were transferred to the rearing room. Cultures were renewed with feral adults or larvae collected in om fields at least once a year. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table I presents the developmental times of the life stages of the black cutworm under the culture conditions outlined above. We estimate that more than 90'% of the larvae transferred to diet successfully pupated and emerged. This procedure has been used at the Illinois Natural History Survey and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center since 1979; during this time no disease outbreaks have occurred. With this procedure, less than 7 h/wk are required to rear a thousand or more larvae for biological and control studies. Space requirements with this method are also minimal; a medium-sized incubator could e used in place of a rearing room. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors thank W. H. Luckmann and J. T. Shaw for reviewing the manuscript. This research was supported by USEPA Grant R805429. LITERATURE CITED Harris, C. R., J. A. Begg, andJ. H. Mazurek. 1958. A laboratory method of mass rearing the black cutworm, Agrotis ypsi/on (Rott.), for insecticide tests. Canadian Entomol. 90:328­331. Nielsen, D. G., F. F. Purrington, G. F. Shambaugh, and G. J. Musick. 1980. Rearing Podesesia larvae on a meridic diet. J. Georgia Entomol. Soc. 15:37-41. Reese, J. c., L. M. English, T. R. Yonke, and M. L. Fairchild. 1972. A method for rearing black cutworms. J. Econ. Entomol. 65:1047-1050. 2The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 15, No. 1 [1982], Art. 7https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol15/iss1/7

A Low Cost and Labor Efficient Method for Rearing Black Cutworms (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

ValpoScholar

The Great Lakes Entomologist 
Volume 15 
Number 1 - Spring 1982 Number 1 - Spring 1982 Article 7 
April 1982 
A Low Cost and Labor Efficient Method for Rearing Black 
Cutworms (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) 
Eli Levine 
University of Illinois 
S. L. Clement 
USDA-SEA-AR 
R. S. Schmidt 
University of Minnesota 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle 
 Part of the Entomology Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Levine, Eli; Clement, S. L.; and Schmidt, R. S. 1982. "A Low Cost and Labor Efficient Method for Rearing 
Black Cutworms (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)," The Great Lakes Entomologist, vol 15 (1) 
Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/tgle/vol15/iss1/7 
This Peer-Review Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Biology at ValpoScholar. 
It has been accepted for inclusion in The Great Lakes Entomologist by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. 
For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at scholar@valpo.edu. 
1982 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST 47 
A LOW COST AND LABOR EFFICIENT METHOD FOR REARING 

BLACK CUTWORMS (LEPIDOP"rERA: NOCTUIDAE)1 

Eli Levine,2 S. L. Clement,3 and R. S. Schmidt4 
The 
black cutworm, 
Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel), has been and continues to be the subject 
of 
many biological and control studies 
in the north-central states. Interest in this insect can 
often be traced to its status as a major, but sporadic pest of field com in the region. 
In order to conduct studies on the black cutworm, entomologists have often relied on 
laboratory-reared insects. Previous attempts to mass rear black cutworm larvae on plant 
parts such as red clover leaves have met with high rates of mortality (40-50%) due to
cannibalism and disease (Harris et al. 1958). Rearing this species individually on insect diet 
(Reese et al. 1972), however, is very labor-intensive. Thus, over the past five years we have 
attempted to develop a procedure to rear black cutworms with a minimum investment of 
labor and low rate of mortality. This work began at the Ohio Agricultural Research and 
Development Center, Wooster, but the method was perfected by the senior author at the 
Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign. With this method of culturing, 1st through 3rd 
or 
4th instar larvae are reared on corn seedlings and the resulting older larvae are transferred to 
diet 
to complete larval development. This procedure has the added advantages that larvae 
reared partially on com and used in research studies, appear to make the transition to corn 
seedlings more easily than larvae reared completely on artificial diet, and diet costs are 
greatly reduced. 
METHODS AND MATERIALS 
Rearing was conducted in a 271°C, 70 5% RH, and 16:8 h photoperiod room. A 
culture was started in spring 1979 from adults collected in Champaign County, Illinois. Ten 
moths (ca. 50:50 sex ratio) were placed in each of several 31 x 15 x 61-cm plastic bags (8-cm 
pleats) supported by a 22 x 22 x 22-cm wire frame and closed with a twist tie. Approxi­
mately 20 small holes were punched in each bag for ventilation. The cages were provided 
with a 60-ml plastic cup containing cotton soaked with 10% honey solution and one sheet of 
paper 
toweling. Towels were checked 3 times weekly for eggs. Groups 
of eggs were cut from 
the 
paper sheet, placed 
in 0.5-liter plastic cups with plastic lid  (5 pin holes were made in the 
lid to provide ventilation), and placed in a lOOC refrigerator until ready for use. Eggs were 
stored for up to one month without loss of viability. When larvae were needed, the plastic 
cups containing the eggs were transferred to the rearing room. Several leaves from young 
com 
seedlings (2-4 leaf stage plants) grown in flats 
in a greenhouse were placed in these 
containers to provide food for newly-emerged larvae. Containers were checked daily and 
new leaves added when the old ones had either dried out or been consumed. When most of 
the eggs had hatched (ca. 4-5 days), larvae were transferred en masse to large plastic 
containers (ca. 0.03 m3), lids of which were fitted with a 2 x 5-cm section of fine mesh 
screening. During very early larval development, most of the screened area was covered up 
with a petri dish top to maintain high humidity levels, but as larvae became larger (>2nd 
instar), this cover was removed. Fresh com leaves were added to the containers and decay­
ing plant material was removed from the containers as needed. Several hundred larvae could 
be reared communally with this technique. We have found that we can rear larvae up to the 
IThis publication is a contribution of the Illinois Natural History Survey and the Illinois Agricultur­
al Experiment Station, Conege of Agriculture, University of ntinois. 
2Section of Economic Entomology, lIlinois Natural History Survey, and Office of Agricultural Ento­
mology, University of lIlinois, Champaign, IL 61820. 
3Biological Control of Weeds Laboratory, USDA-SEA-AR, 1050 San Pablo Avenue, Albany, CA 
94706. 
4Department 
of Entomology, Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Minnesota. St. Paul, MN 55108.
1
Levine et al.: A Low Cost and Labor Efficient Method for Rearing Black Cutworms
Published by ValpoScholar, 1982
48 THE GREAT LAKES ENTOMOLOGIST Vol. 15, No.1 
Table I. Developmental time in days of black cutworm life stages under culture conditions 
outlined in text. 
Life stage Developmental time (n)a 
Egg 3.0 :!: 0.  (6 groups) 
Egg hatch to 3rd molt 6.9 :!: 0.3 (28) 
Egg hatch to 4th molt 10.4 :!: 0.4 (28) 
Larva 
(including pre-pupal stage) 31.4 
:!: 0.6 (95) 
Pre-pupa 2.2 :!: 0.1 (95) 
Pupa 13.2 0.1 (95) 
Adult female, pre-ovipositional period 2.9 0.1 (8) 
Complete life cycle (oviposition to oviposition) 50.5 
ax SEen). 
3rd or 4th instar without significant cannabilism or outbreaks of disease. Larvae for on-going 
studies were easily removed with flexible-tipped forceps. 
To 
maintain the colony, approximately 
75 3rd or 4th instar larvae were removed from the 
"communal" 
container 
on a weekly basis and individually reared on plugs of a meridic diet 
(Nielsen et al. 1980; 3 ml of mold inhibitor was used per batch of diet rather than 4% by 
weight, as specified by Nielsen t a1.), placed in 35-ml capped plastic cups. The plastic lining 
on the 
caps was oriented outward to prevent larvae from chewing through this moisture 
barrier. Larvae completed their development without further attention. Diet was made 
in 
quantity and frozen until needed. On a weekly basis, pupae were removed from the diet 
cups, 
washed free 
of debris with water, and placed en masse in a 0.5-liter plastic cup lined 
with a paper towel. Five pin holes were made in the plastic lids of these containers to 
provide ventilation. Pupae were stored in a lOoC refrigerator until ready for use. When 
adults were needed, the plastic cups containing the pupae were transferred to the rearing 
room. Cultures were renewed with feral adults or larvae collected in om fields at least once 
a year. 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
Table I presents the developmental times of the life stages of the black cutworm under the 
culture conditions outlined above. 
We estimate that more than 90'% of the larvae transferred to diet successfully pupated and 
emerged. This procedure has been used at the Illinois Natural History Survey and the Ohio 
Agricultural Research and Development Center since 1979; during this time no disease 
outbreaks have occurred. With this procedure, less than 7 h/wk are required to rear a 
thousand or more larvae for biological and control studies. Space requirements with this 
method are also minimal; a medium-sized incubator could e used in place of a rearing room. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENT 
The authors thank W. H. Luckmann and J. T. Shaw for reviewing the manuscript. This 
research was supported by USEPA Grant R805429. 
LITERATURE CITED 
Harris, C. R., J. A. Begg, andJ. H. Mazurek. 1958. A laboratory method of mass rearing the 
black cutworm, Agrotis ypsi/on (Rott.), for insecticide tests. Canadian Entomol. 90:328­
331. 
Nielsen, D. G., F. F. Purrington, G. F. Shambaugh, and G. J. Musick. 1980. Rearing 
Podesesia larvae on a meridic diet. J. Georgia Entomol. Soc. 15:37-41. 
Reese, J. c., L. M. English, T. R. Yonke, and M. L. Fairchild. 1972. A method for rearing 
black cutworms. J. Econ. Entomol. 65:1047-1050. 
2
The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 15, No. 1 [1982], Art. 7
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A Low Cost and Labor Efficient Method for Rearing Black Cutworms (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

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