Energetics and Development of Washington State Rhagoletis pomonella (Apple Maggot)
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC 137B
Start Date
17-5-2012
End Date
17-5-2012
Abstract
Apple maggots are a common pest of apple in Washington State. Native to hawthorn fruit, when apples were introduced into the United States during the 19th century, apple maggot populations began to infest both hawthorn and apple fruit. For an insect that has such a major impact in Washington State, little research has been done in this state: the majority of what we know about apple maggots comes from East Coast populations. A general principle of evolution is that as populations are separated over time, the different populations could look or behave differently, so we expect apple maggots in Washington to different significantly from those of the East Coast. My project is in collaboration with the USDA Wapato Research Lab. I am first investigating the basic biology of the insect in Washington, especially with regards to diapause. The second step will be to rear apple maggots in simulated Washington and tropical environments, and measure the effects of the tropical environment on diapauses and metabolic rates. This information will be used to assess the potential of apple maggots to successfully colonize tropical environments –useful information to create regulations in regards to the exportation of potentially infested apples. Initial results show that Apple Maggots can develop in a tropical condition, and at certain conditions, will develop up to 25% faster than those in a Washington condition. My presentation will consist of an overview of the insect and preliminary results.
Recommended Citation
Lehrman, Nathan, "Energetics and Development of Washington State Rhagoletis pomonella (Apple Maggot)" (2012). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 104.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2012/oralpresentations/104
Additional Mentoring Department
Biological Sciences
Energetics and Development of Washington State Rhagoletis pomonella (Apple Maggot)
SURC 137B
Apple maggots are a common pest of apple in Washington State. Native to hawthorn fruit, when apples were introduced into the United States during the 19th century, apple maggot populations began to infest both hawthorn and apple fruit. For an insect that has such a major impact in Washington State, little research has been done in this state: the majority of what we know about apple maggots comes from East Coast populations. A general principle of evolution is that as populations are separated over time, the different populations could look or behave differently, so we expect apple maggots in Washington to different significantly from those of the East Coast. My project is in collaboration with the USDA Wapato Research Lab. I am first investigating the basic biology of the insect in Washington, especially with regards to diapause. The second step will be to rear apple maggots in simulated Washington and tropical environments, and measure the effects of the tropical environment on diapauses and metabolic rates. This information will be used to assess the potential of apple maggots to successfully colonize tropical environments –useful information to create regulations in regards to the exportation of potentially infested apples. Initial results show that Apple Maggots can develop in a tropical condition, and at certain conditions, will develop up to 25% faster than those in a Washington condition. My presentation will consist of an overview of the insect and preliminary results.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Jason Irwin