Galileo Durgan,  

Sponsor or Client: 

Title:

Rearing Strategies for Weevils to Produce Karyotypes

Abstract:

Our research focused on laboratory rearing methods for the locally abundant weevils Orimodema protracta and Ericydeus lautus, which are close relatives of Dyslobus. Our ultimate goal was to identify successful rearing techniques that can be applied to future rearing of Dyslobus species to be used in karyotyping and breeding experimentation.
We collected 14 adults of O. protracta and 12 adults of E. lautus from the wild, which were then maintained in the laboratory. Individuals were kept in independent containers which were provisioned with an artificial medium substrate, a food source, and kept under controlled daylight, temperature and humidity settings. Containers were checked regularly for eggs.
During our study none of the weevils laid eggs, and most died after two weeks of captivity. Mortality was likely due to fungal infection or improper food. We concluded that larger air holes in containers would likely mitigate fungal infections by reducing humidity and that the preferred host plant of O. protracta is ponderosa pine. This knowledge, along with upgrades made to our climate system, will afford great success when rearing weevils in future studies.