I want to study the life cycle of insect, the larva of this insect lives inside the gall which is formed in the stem of host plant. I presume the presence the larva leads to the formation of a gall. Can someone suggest me a standard protocol through which I can study the life cycle of this insect larva.
Thank you in advance
Dr Bisu Singh
Hello Bisu; If you don't already know the species of the gall-former, you need to rear the larvae to the adult so that you can identify it. I've seen papers where the researcher enclosed the gall on the host plant using fine window screen...needs to be very well sealed so that the adults can't escape.
Identify the gall-former and then you can figure out how to proceed. Relevant questions include,
1. How many generations are produced per year?
2. Do the pupae or adults undergo diapause?
3. Does the gall-former have parasites of its own?
4. Is there a literature about this species already available?
Best regards, Jim Des Lauriers
it seems so difficult ... you have to know where the eggs are laid, outside or inside to determine the developmental period of the eggs, then go to the larval stage..... determine the whole larval development is possible.... then if the insect will go to pupal stage, where?, inside or outside the gall? this would help.... and then the longevity of adult. but determine the periods of the different larval instars seems be so difficult without opening so of these galls...........
Frias; I agree that it would be a help to open galls. Sometimes galls can be brought into the lab late in the season and somebody will emerge. However there is no assurance that what emerges is the species that caused the gall...hyperparasites! It is wonderfully complex. best regards, Jim Des Lauriers
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