-94- 



cover, held in place with an elastic band, was used to prevent 

 dessication of the larval food and movement of larvae from one well to 

 another. Four-well tissue-culture trays with similar modifications 

 and 7-dram oviposition/rearing vials were also used for individual 

 rearing. The tissue culture trays were placed in Nalge® (19 x 16 x 4 

 cm) utility boxes (Nalge Co., Rochester, NY), to maintain constant RH. 



When the eggs hatched, moist larval diet (Young jit _al_., 1981) was 

 sprinkled sparingly on the surface of the plaster of Paris in the 

 bottom of each container. The containers were examined at least every 

 other day to monitor immature development and to replenish food and 

 moisture. Particular care was taken to insure that lst-instar larvae 

 did not dessicate from too little moisture or drown from too much. 

 Less attention was required for later instars and pupae. 



Slow larval development and excessive mortal ity, especial ly 

 during the 1st stadium, prompted experiments aimed at accelerating the 

 former and decreasing the latter parameter to enhance net productivity 

 of the colony. The effects of different temperatures and of different 

 larval diets were tested. 



Rearing temperature experiments . The objectives of these 

 experiments were to compare the effects of two environmental 

 temperatures (24°C and 27°C) on immature development time and to 

 ascertain the best temperature for rearing Lu_. diabol ica . Egg batches 

 (less than 24-hrs-old) from laboratory-reared females were divided 

 equally into two groups and the eggs were placed individually in wells 

 of modified tissue-culture dishes (Perkins, 1982) or 7-dram 

 oviposition/rearing containers. Eggs that were deposited on the sides of 

 the vials, or that looked abnormal, were not used. A total of 295 



