Effect of Electron-beam Irradiation on Development and Reproduction of Bemisia tabaci, Myzus persicae, Plutella xylostella and Tetranychus urticae
Four major agricultural insect pests, Bemisia tabaci, Myzus persicae, Plutella xylostella and Tetranychus urticae, were irradiated with 30, 50, 70, or 100 Gy electron-beam. Longevity, egg hatching, emergence, and fecundity of the test insects were measured. Hatchability of B. tabaci, P. xylostella and T. urticae declined with increasing irradiation doses, and all B. tabaci and T. urticae eggs were dead at 100 Gy. When eggs of B. tabaci, P. xylostella and T. urticae were irradiated, hatch was inhibited. B. tabaci adults grown from 70 Gy irradiated eggs did not lay eggs. Fecundity of P. xylostella from the 100 Gy irradiated eggs decreased. When B. tabaci, P. xylostella, M. persicae and T. urticae nymphs/larvae were irradiated, the results were similar as those of the hatched eggs. When P. xylostella pupae were irradiated with 100 Gy, fecundity of emerged adults decreased and no eggs hatched. When B. tabaci, P. xylostella, M. persicae and T. urticae adults were irradiated with 70 and 100 Gy, fecundity decreased and egg hatch of B. tabaci was inhibited. However, the longevity of adults did not change and electron-beam irradiation of all developmental stages had no effect on the longevity of adults.