The purpose of this study was to determine the number of larval instars for Heilipus lauri Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). We reared 385 larvae under laboratory conditions and measured the width of the larval head capsules from digital images. Data were analyzed using the Hcap program and Dyar's rule. Analysis of the frequency distribution showed the existence of 4 distinct peaks. The mean Dyar's constant was 1.42, where the relationship between the natural logarithm of the head capsule widths and the number of larval instars resulted in a near-perfect geometric growth for each instar. The excellent fit of the data to a linear model suggests that there was nearly no overlap among the 4 instars in the head capsule measurements, making it possible to distinguish the 4 instars of H. lauri accurately.
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1 December 2016
Head Capsule Width is Useful for Determining Larval Instar in Heilipus lauri (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
Álvaro Castañeda-Vildózola,
Héctor González-Hernández,
Armando Equihua-Martínez,
Jorge Valdez-Carrasco,
Jorge E. Peña,
Lucas Emiliano Cazado,
Omar Franco-Mora
Florida Entomologist
Vol. 99 • No. 4
December 2016
Vol. 99 • No. 4
December 2016
avocado pest
Dyar's rule
Molytinae
picudos
plagas del aguacate
regla de Dyar
weevil