Comparison of artificial diets and different varieties of maize, for rearing Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller, 1879) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Abstract

This work was carried out to compare the development of Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller, 1879), for Trichogramma mass rearing production, with an artificial diet consisting of a hybrid commercial yellow maize and yeast, in relation to a diet containing white maize with very high lysine and tryptophan contents, added to yeast. The following parameters were evaluated: life cycle length, adult weights, fecundity, egg laying, adult malformations, and mortality at the different development stages. The laboratory conditions were temperature of 25±2°C, photophase of 14 hr and RH of 60 ± 10%. Based on these parameters, the diet consisting of commercial maize showed to be nutritionally suitable for A. kuehniella rearing and may replace the diet consisting of a very rich maize variety for mass rearing purposes.