COLD STORAGE OF PARASITIZED AND UNPARASITIZED EGGS OF THE GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER, HOMALODISCA COAGULATA

• Author(s): Leopold, Roger; Chen, Wenlong; Morgan, David; Yocum, George;
• Abstract: Excised leaves and cuttings of the Euonymus japonica plant were tested for cold tolerance over time at 2, 5, and 10 C in the dark for purposes of developing a protocol that would be favorable to cold storage of parasitized and unparasitized GWSS egg masses oviposited on the leaves of this plant. Cuttings generally survived longer than individual leaves at all temperatures tested, some as long as 165 days. The two lower temperatures were best for storage of the cuttings while 5C was best for the individual leaves. Successful parasitism of GWSS eggs stored on euonymus cuttings for 20days at 13C for both Gonatocerus ashmeadi and G. triguttatus was similar to control levels while parasitism steadily declined with longer storage periods. The threshold temperature for development of GWSS embryos appears to be approximately 12C and, depending upon the age of the embryos when placed at 13C, hatching can be as high as 36% after 40 days storage. We previously observed that G. ashmeadi within GWSS eggs stored for 7 days at 2C were able to survive, however, our recent tests showed that neither Gonatocerus species were able to survive 20 days at this temperature.
• Publication Date: Aug 2003
• Journal: 2003 Pierce's Disease Research Symposium