Life history traits in a capital breeding pine caterpillar: effect of host species and needle age

BACKGROUND: For capital breeding Lepidoptera, larval food quality is a key determinant of their fitness. A series of studies have suggested that the larval host species or varieties dramatically impact their development and reproductive output. However, few studies have reported the role of foliar age and adult mating success has often been ignored in these studies. In this paper, the influence of host species and needle age on larval performances, adult mating behavior and fitness consequences has been studied using a capital breeding caterpillar, Dendrolimus punctatus Walker (Lepidoptera:Lasiocampidae). RESULTS: In larval performance trial, a strong effect of larval host species and needle age was found on survivorship, developmental duration, body weight, percentage of adult emergence, and growth index, but not on percentage of female progeny. In adult mating trial, larval host species and needle age also significantly affected mating latency and mating duration, but not mating success. In adult fitness trial, female fecundity, longevity and fitness index, but not oviposition duration and fertility, influenced by larval host species and needle age. CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal the importance of larval host species and needle age on larval performance and adult reproductive fitness in this capital breeding insect and provide strong evidence that old needles of masson pine P. massoniana is the best host for D. punctatus.