I am interested to know some tricks to improve the oviposition of OFM during the domestication of the insect and the adaptation to an artificial diet. Thanks
Hello Wilson:
The best way to obtain a lab colony of the oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) from the field is collecting infested fruits of peach, green small apples and pears. Rear the larvae inside enclosed mesh containers to obtain enough adults (males and females). Also you can obtain adults with UV ligths in the field. Put the adults inside a cage with a cheesecloth-lined wooden mating chamber (30 x 16 x 17 cm). Put a piece of Plexiglas slid into grooves running along its length positioned on the front open side with a feed 15-cm roll of wax paper stretched across the chamber's open face between the Plexiglas and the interior. The moths attracted to the light, rest and laid eggs on the wax paper Eggs can be removed from the chamber interior daily by pulling the wax paper, simultaneously replacing the eggsheet for the next day. Eggsheets can be washed in a weak formalde hyde solution (approximately 1%) for 30 s, rinsed, air dried, and stored at 25°C.
Yokohama et.al (1987) developed a formulated diet using small lima beans for rearing the oriental fruit moth. Please find attached the mass rearing protocol in this paper by Vetter et. al. 1989.
Good luck,
Luis Miguel
Hello Wilson:
The best way to obtain a lab colony of the oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) from the field is collecting infested fruits of peach, green small apples and pears. Rear the larvae inside enclosed mesh containers to obtain enough adults (males and females). Also you can obtain adults with UV ligths in the field. Put the adults inside a cage with a cheesecloth-lined wooden mating chamber (30 x 16 x 17 cm). Put a piece of Plexiglas slid into grooves running along its length positioned on the front open side with a feed 15-cm roll of wax paper stretched across the chamber's open face between the Plexiglas and the interior. The moths attracted to the light, rest and laid eggs on the wax paper Eggs can be removed from the chamber interior daily by pulling the wax paper, simultaneously replacing the eggsheet for the next day. Eggsheets can be washed in a weak formalde hyde solution (approximately 1%) for 30 s, rinsed, air dried, and stored at 25°C.
Yokohama et.al (1987) developed a formulated diet using small lima beans for rearing the oriental fruit moth. Please find attached the mass rearing protocol in this paper by Vetter et. al. 1989.
Good luck,
Luis Miguel
I see that you are already able to rear OFM and Luis Miguel Constantino gave you useful suggestion. I have reared OFM for a long time, and in case we can discuss special topics; in the case of domestication, a general trick is to give a natural odor in the oviposition cage. I used to put adults in a plastic bottle, cutting the bottom away and closing this side with a net. Once or twice a week I transferred the insects in a new similar bottle. The eggs are deposited on the inner surface of the bottle and you can easily cut the bottle in pieces.
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