360 



decades of extensive and intensive in-season applications of these chemicals. 

 Is it net a more reasonable approach to boll weevil control to adopt this 

 proved method of pest management than to embark upon a concept that has been 

 tested, and found to be a failure, in only one experiment? Funds saved could 

 be devoted more appropriately to finding solutions to the problems that caused 

 the Pilot Boll Weevil Eradication Experiment to be a failure. 



706. Nilakhe, S. S. 1977. Boll weevils: sperm transfer by sterile vs. normal 

 males: fecundity and the use of sperm by females. Ann. Entomol. Soc. 

 Am. 70: 929-932. 

 Normal males of Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman(Coleoptera: Curculionldae) , 

 were held unmated and then were mated once. The number of sperm transferred 

 by them increased as they grew older, but with regards to the percentage of 

 the available sperm transferred, the reverse was true. The A-day-old males 

 transferred ca. 1/5 as many sperm as the 14-day-old males; but the fecundity 

 of the females mated to these males was ca. the same. Males treated with 

 gamma irradiation alone or in combination with diflubenzuron, (l-(4-chlorophenyl) 

 -3-(2,6-diflurobenzoyl)-urea) and held unmated for 5 days transferred ca. 3/4 

 of available sperm in a single mating. Both 9-day-old normal males and 

 males treated with 8000 rad + diflubenzuron transferred ca. 1.5 million 

 sperm to the females; however, the females mated to treated males had 

 only ca. 1/2 as many sperm in their spermathecae as females mated to 

 normal males. This is the 1st indication that irradiation lowers the 

 quality of boll weevil sperm. Sperm from the spermathecae were utilized 

 by the females at a much faster rate during the 1st 4 days after mating 

 than during the 5th through the 10th day. 



