Effects of soil moisture and temperature on overwintering survival of Curculio larvae (Coleoptera : Curculionidae)
January 1, 1996
Few studies to date have investigated factors, other than mast crop size, that influence the dynamics of Curculio populations.W e examined the effects of varying levels of soil moisture (0.35, 0.4 and 0.5 g water/g soil) and temperature (8, 14 and 20 C) on over wintering survival of Curculio larvae collected from Quercus michauxii acorns. Survival of larvae, analyzed using log-linear analysis, was adversely affected by soil moisture but not by soil temperature. Larvae that overwinter in drier soil may have higher probabilities of successfully metamorphosing.
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Title | Effects of soil moisture and temperature on overwintering survival of Curculio larvae (Coleoptera : Curculionidae) |
| DOI | 10.2307/2426646 |
| Authors | Mark A. Ricca, Floyd W. Weckerly, Raymond D. Semlitsch |
| Publication Type | Article |
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Series Title | American Midland Naturalist |
| Index ID | 1008076 |
| Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
| USGS Organization | Western Ecological Research Center |