EFFECT OF X-RAY EXPOSURE ON THE EUROPEAN CORN BORER
Adult male (0- to 24-hr-old) Ostrinia nubilalis moths were irradiated with 250-kv x rays at a dose rate of 500 r/min and placed in cages with untreated females. Daily records were kept of mortality, egg production, and egg hatch. When untreated virgin females were mated with irradiated males, the percentage of viable eggs decreased with an increase in the dose. The average egg hatch in the untreated controls was 80.4%, whereas matings with male moths exposed to 10000, 20000, and 30000 r showed averages of 37.7, 9.9, and 0.1% egg hatch, respectively. In matings of males exposed to 4000, 8000, 16000, and 32000 r, the average percentages of viable eggs were 58.1, 44.5, 18.4, and 0.4, respectively. An increase in the ratio of irradiated males to untreated males and females resulted in reduction of the percent of viable eggs. A ratio of eight irradiated males to four untreated males to eight untreated females resulted in 39.4% egg hatch, as compared with 82.7% in untreated controls and 1.1% in irradiated controls. When pupae 48 to 78 hr old were irradiated and later mated to untreated adults, the percent of egg hatch was reduced by increasing doses. The percent hatch was 69.9 when the male pupae were exposed to 2500 r, and when the dose was increased to 7000 r, only 49.9%. At ali doses tested the percentage of egg hatch was greater from matings containirg treated females. Matings of male pupae exposed to 5000 r resulted in 83.8% hatch, but the same dose applied to female pupae resulted in only 15.8%. Adults from younger pupae produced eggs that generally showed a lower percentage hatch than older pupae after exposure to x rays. Matings of females exposed as pupae produced fewer viable eggs than those with males treated as pupae, regardless of pupal age at irradiation. When the percentage of egg hatch was plotted semilogarithmically against dose, the resultant dosage-response curve was initially linear with an increased gradient at the higher doses. Dosageresponse curves indicate that the corn borer is more resistant to the effects of radiation thand other insects. Irradiated male corn borers survived about as long as untreated males ( approximates 7 days). It is concluded that adult male corn borers can be sterilized by doses of 32000 r or above and that at this dose 1% or less of the eggs will hatch from matings with untreated females. (BBB)
- Research Organization:
- Louisiana State Univ., Baton Rouge
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- NSA Number:
- NSA-18-005052
- OSTI ID:
- 4162105
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Economic Entomology (U.S.), Vol. Vol: 56; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-64
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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