FIGURE 1.


SEARCHING
 GRAVID
 FEMALE










OVIPOSITION


 PLANT
 VOLATILES

 PHYSICAL ATTRACTION
 FACTORS
 (color,
outline, etc.)
 NONVOLATILE
 CHEMICAL
 FACTORS

 PHYSICAL FACTORS
 (pubescence, etc.)


 ARREST,
 STIMULATION,
 INDUCTION
4p----


Biology in Southern Florida
 Laboratory tests at Charleston have demonstrated, at least
theoretically, the potential of controlling pickleworm by release
of irradiated substerile male moths (Elsey and Brower, 1983). The
constriction of the overwintering range of melonworm and
pickleworm to southern Florida presents the limited geographical
range that is a prerequisite of the sterile male technique.
However, before this or any other region-wide control technique
is implemented, a thorough study of the species biology in its
overwintering refuge is necessary. Therefore, in early 1983 the
USDA and University of Florida initiated a cooperative study of
pickleworm and melonworm biology in southern Florida. The
objectives of the study were to determine the seasonal fluctuations
in density of the two species on trap crops of cucumber and squash,
commercial cucurbit fields, and stands of potential weed hosts at
several locations. Additional information was to be gathered on in-
cidence of parasitism. Much of this work is still in progress and it is
too early for a comprehensive report; however, interesting informa-
tion on the importance of wild hosts is already available.





 TABLE 1. Performance of eight selected cucumber lines in two antibiosis tests.

 Cultivar Detached-leaf
 orTest Scorez
 Rank Line Test 1 Test 2

 1 C541 C2 3.0 3.1
 2 Femscore 3.0 3.2
 3 PI 205996 3.0 3.2
 4 RS 79031 3.0 3.3
 5 Earlipik 14 3.5 1.5
 1158 MSU 581 H 5.5 5.0
 1159 PI 263079 6.5 4.3
 1160 VDP No. 328 6.5 4.5


 Zleaf damage scored 1 to 9 (1 = no damage, 9 = leaf tissue between
 veins completely eaten).


VOL. XX-PROCEEDINGS of the CARIBBEAN FOOD CROPS SOCIETY


TABLE 2. Oviposition by Diaphania moths on glabrous and pubescent cucumber in
screenhouse.


 X egts/pant
 Plat- pickleworm Melonworm

 Glabrous 18.5a 15.9a

 Pubescent 114.2b 47.Ib




 Preliminary surveys found the Melothriapendula L., creeping
 cucumber, and Momordica chorantia L., wild balsam apple, were
 abundant throughout Florida, therefore our field and laboratory
 work to assess the importance of wild hosts was concentrated on
 these two species. From November 1983 through April 1984 at
 three locations in southern Florida, 79 pickleworms were found
 on Melothria and 0 on Momordica while 8 melonworms were
 found on both species. Survival of newly hatched melonworm
 and pickleworm on Melothria foliage was equal to that of the
 cucumber check, but development was somewhat delayed. Sur-
 vival on Momordica was 0 for both species. No feeding was
 observed and the larvae wandered the leaves until they eventually
 starved to death. The lack of pickleworm on Momordica in the
 field can be explained by their failure to feed on excised foliage,
 but since melonworms also did not survive, their presence in field
 sample is puzzling. We are investigating the possibility of a
 melonworm race adapted to feeding on Momordica. The presence
 of both species in field samples ofMelothria, their ability to feed
 and develop on the weed, and its abundance throughout
 southern Florida indicate that Melothria is a very important alter-
 nate host.

 Biological Control
 The impact of natural enemies on pickleworm and melonworm
 in the U.S. decreases in a northernly direction. In a two year
 study in North Carolina (Van Balen, 1976) no parasites were
 found on pickleworm. In the Charleston, S.C. area an uniden-
 tified species ofApanteles attacks both species consistently late in
 the season and egg parasitism by Trichogramma can be high
 (Elsey, 1980). Nothing was known concerning parasitism in
 southern Florida prior to the start of our biology study there, but
 we suspected there would be more parasite species involved. Dr.
Jorge Pefia has found the following species of hymenopterous
parasites in southern Florida during the last 18 months.
 Apanteles sp. Braconidae
 Hypomicrogaster sp. Braconidae
 Gambus ultimus Ichneumonidae
 *PiFstomerus spinator Ichneumonidae
 Temelucha sp. : Ichneumonidae
 Ictoplectis inquisitor Ichneumonidae
 *Casinaria infesta Ichneumonidae
 Spilochalcis sp. Chalcididae
 Ceraphron sp. Ceraphronidae


 TABLE 3. Mean number Diaphania spp. eggs (pickleworm and melonworm) on
 glabrous and pubescent cucumber plant.

 Diaphania spp. eggs/plant
 Glabrous Pubescent
 8/19 .5 6.0
 8/26 1.2 31.2
 9/3 .2 2.3


101