Ascotis selenaria, a major geometridae moth in citrus trees, annually damages the citrus leaves and fruits. The surface of young citrus fruit were usually fed by 1st larva of A. selenaria after landing or stepping onto the citrus fruits. To protect the larval damages of citrus fruits needs to predict the accurate occurrence time of the 1st larva for spraying. Because larval occurrences is dependent on the oviposition of adult female and the eggs were not found in/on citrus trees, oviposition model of A. selenaria linked with the egg development model will be helpful of protecting larval damages on citrus fruits. Adult longevity, survival and fecundity of A.selenaria was investigated at 13, 16, 20, 24, 28, 30, 32, and 35℃. The longevity decreased as the temperature increased and the female development rates (1/median longevity) were well described by a modified sigmoid model, which was used to calculate the adult physiological age. Description of the total fecundity was used by a non-linear model: The maximum fecundity of A. selenaria was estimated as 2490 eggs and peaked temperature was 19.7℃ according to the fecundity model. The cumulative age-specific oviposition rate and the age-specific survival rate was well described by 2 parameters Weibull function and a reverse logistic curve respectively. Total fecundity model, age-sepecific oviposition model, and age-specific survival model were incorporated into the oviposition model.

Ascotis selenaria, one of the major Geometridae moths, annually damages the citrus leaves and fruits. This study was focused to identify the sex pheromone components of A. selenaria in order to monitoring and control its population. Adult female and male were usually emerged at the time between 2 hour before and 2 hour afterlights-off in 16L:8D photoperiod. Mating, irrespective in female age, started at 2 hour after lights-off and peaked between 4 hour and 6 hour after lights-off. They copulated for 3 hour 47 min per pair. Gland extract of virgin female was analyzed with GC-MS and GC-EAD.Z,Z-6,9-3,4 epoxy nonadecadiene (Z,Z-6,9-3,4 epo- 19Hy) was identified as the candidate. Both of stereo isomer, Z,Z-6,9-3R,4S epo- 19Hy and Z,Z-6,9-3S,4R epo- 19Hy, showed a strong EAG response in male antennae. Further study like field attraction test should be needed to clarify the sex pheromone composition and in A. selenaria. Age and time were related with the amount of sex pheromone components biosynthesized in A. selenaria gland. 0 day old female had 112.7ng per gland at 5 hour after lights off and the amount was decreased as they aged. The sex pheromone biosynthesis started from lights-off and showed the increasing tendency during scotophase.

Murgot Looper Moth, Ascotis selenaria, is one of the worldwide pests in citrus plants. They usually damages citrus leaves and often makes young fruits injured. In Jeju, it has been discovered that A. selenaria is a pest of two major geometridae moths being occurred in citrus plant and they also had periodically occurred and damaged bean, asparagus, etc. However, physiological and ecological studies were rarely conducted on this species, which maybe resulted from the limitation of rearing method. Therefore, this study aimed on selecting the diet sources and developing mass-rearing method for A. selenaria, in order to make ease or spur a investigation related with A. selenaria. The major sources, selected among the series of semi-artificial diet, were corn and bean powder and adding yeast makes the larva developed well. Cholesterol, one of the minor sources, enhanced the development rate and lowered the mortality during 1 to 3 larva stage. Consequently the semi-artificial diet, suitable for rearing A. selenaria larva, was composed of 25g agar, 100g corn powder, 100g soybean powder, 30g yeast, 0.5g cholesterol, 2g Vanderzant's vitamin mixture, 2g Wesson's salt mixture, 2g sorbic acid, 2.5g methyl-4-hydroxybenzoate(MPH), 2g Ascorbic acid, and 1000 ml distilled water. A. selenaria larvae has 6 developmental stage and the width of head piece was 0.31 mm (1st instar) , 0.51 mm (2nd), 0.85 mm(3rd), 1.37 mm (4th), 2.14 mm (5th), and 3.19 mm (6th). The development period of A. selenaria, reared at 25℃ and 16L:8D photoperiod, was 4.7 day (egg), 3.58 day(1st instar), 1.88 day (2nd), 1.80 day (3rd), 2.46 day (4th ), 2.59 day (5th), 8.10 day (6th), 11.26 day (pupae) when citrus leaves were supplied to the larva. The larvae, fed with the artificial diet(mentioned above), showed similar developmental periods at each developmental stage as much as the case reared with citrus leaves, although the mortality was sometimes a little bit higher. The weight of pupae were 0.614g (artificial diet) and 0.427g (citrus stuff) and female adult moths lay 1094 eggs (artificial diet) and 1054 eggs (citrus stuff).