Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T02:08:48.378Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The feeding and mating behaviour of pollen beetles (Meligethes aeneus Fab.) and seed weevils (Ceutorhynchus assimilis Payk.) on oil-seed rape (Brassica napus L.)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

Ingrid H. Williams  and
J. B. Free
Ingrid H. Williams
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Hertfordshire
J. B. Free
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Hertfordshire
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

During the early period of infestation of winter rape, pollen beetles and seed weevils were mainly feeding and attaining sexual maturity. Before a crop flowered pollen beetles fed on buds but only some of those which they had perforated to obtain pollen dropped off. When flowering started adults obtained pollen from flowers rather than from buds. They laid their eggs in the buds but not in the flowers. Larvae moved from flower to flower up the raceme and caused no damage. Probably many podless stalks have been wrongly attributed to pollen beetle damage.

Overwintered seed weevils caused no damage by feeding on rape pods. New generation seed weevils caused some loss of seed weight and viability when feeding on pods of spring rape; this is probably unimportant on a field scale.

Pollen beetles and seed weevils mated from mid-May until the emergence of new generation adults; these did not mate before hibernating.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 91 , Issue 2 , October 1978 , pp. 453 - 459
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Alford, D. V. & Gould, H. J. (1975). Surveys of pest incidence on oil-seed rape in the United Kingdom. Proceedings of the 8th British Insecticides and Fungicides Conference, pp. 489–495.Google Scholar
Bonnemaison, L. (1954). Le charancon des siliques, ennemi du colza. Oledgineux 9, 245–250.Google Scholar
Bonnemaison, L. (1957). Le charançon des siliques (Ceuthorhynchus assimilis Payk.). Biologie et methodes de lutte. Annales des épiphyties 8, 387–543.Google Scholar
Dmoch, J. (1965). The dynamics of a population of the cabbage seed pod weevil (Ceuthorhynchus assimilis Payk.) and the development of winter rape. PartI: Ekologia Polska A, 8, 249–287.Google Scholar
Free, J. B. & , Williams, Ingrid, H. (1978). A survey of the damage caused to crops of oil-seed rape (Brassica napus L.) by insect pests in south-central England and their effect on seed yield. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 90, 417–424.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gould, H. J. (1975). Surveys of pest incidence on oilseed rape in south-central England. Annals of Applied Biology 79, 19–26.Google Scholar
Heymons, R. (1921). Mitteilungen über den Rapsrüssler Ceuthorhynchus assimilis Payk. und seinen Parasiten Trichomalus fasdatus Thomson. Zeitschrift fur Angewandte Entomologie 8, 93–111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miles, H. W. (1927). The agricultural entomology of the Holland Division of Lincolnshire. Transactions of the Lincolnshire Naturalists Union, Lincoln, 129–148.Google Scholar
Risbec, J. (1952). Contribution à l'étude de Ceuthorhynchus assimilis Payk. charançon des siliques de colza. Revue de Pathologie Vigetale et d'Entomologie Agricole de France 31, 179–180.Google Scholar
Scherney, F. (1953). Zur biologie der an Raps vorkommenden Meligethesarten. Zeitschrift für Pflanzenbau 4, 154–176.Google Scholar
, Williams, Ingrid, H. (1978). The pollination requirements of swede rape (Brassica napus, L.) and of turnip rape (Brassica campestris L.). Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 91, 343–348.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Winfield, A. L. (1961). Field observations on the control of blossom beetles (Meligethes aeneus F.) and cabbage-seed weevils (Ceuthorhynchus assimilis Payk.) on mustard-seed crops in East Anglia. Annals of Applied Biology 49, 539–555.Google Scholar