Number of larval instars in <em>Plutella xylostella</em> (L.) (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae)

Abstract

The present work was carried out to verify indirectly the number of larvae instars in Plutella xylostella. In the Insects Biology Laboratory of Universidade Federal de Viçosa, (temperature 24.5±4ºC; 12 hours photophase and 70±5% RU), larvae were fed in Petri dishes with fresh leaves of cabbage. Daily, they were picked up, boiled and conserved in 70% alcohol. Ninety six (96) cephalic capsules were measured through a magnifying glass estereoscopy. Both number of instars and respective growth rate were evaluated. To reject the hypothesis, the confidance limits for averages of the widths between successive cephalic capsules when overlapping; the lowest value of the linear regression coefficient determination (R²), and disagreement to estimated value of the growth ratio (K) in relation to K variance proposed by Dyar were assumed. Larvae of P. xylostella were grouped and instars were described considering that the cephalic capsules widths in average would be in the intervals (p < 0.05) 0.15-0.162; 0.227-0.259; 0.361-0.395 and 0.462-0.514 mm for the instars I, II, III and IV respectively. The multimodal distribution curve of cephalic capsules widths allowed to estabilish the existence of four instars (K=1.4; R² = 0.87). The value distribution of the cephalic capsule width followed Dyar’s rule.