Ovipositional preference of the rice leaf miner, Hydrellia wirthi Korytkowski (Diptera: Ephydridae), on selected rice varieties

Abstract

Oviposition by Hydrellia wirthi Korytkowski was studied on nine rice varieties. Significant differences among varieties were detected in the number of eggs, mines, and pupae. The Asian cultivar IR-8 was highly preferred for oviposition while a Colombian cultivar, Oryzica 2, was the least preferred. Another Colombian cultivar (Oryzica 1) was not only preferred for oviposition, but also presented the highest number of pupae plant-1 For the U.S. variety Bluebonnet 50, the oviposition rate was not associated with larval survival suggesting that plant architecture and (or) plant vigour may affect larval survival on this cultivar.