Rearing the cranberry girdler Chrysoteuchia topiaria (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on reed canary grass Phalaris arundinacea (Festucoideae: Panicoideae)

We report a method of rearing cranberry girdler Cl1I ysotellchia topiaria (Ze ll er), a pyralid that is a serious pest of cranberry Vaccini lll11 l11acroc(lJpon Aiton. Ferti Ie eggs from fi eld-caught females were scattered on reed canary grass Pha/aris arundinacea L. planted in greenhouse flats (50 eggslflat) kept under flu orescent lights at 16L:8D and temperatures of 22-30°C (day): 19-24°C (night). Under these conditions, survival from egg to adult was 28%. Progeny of these adults entered diapause after exposure to low light (ca. 0.5 lu x) as larvae. Diapause was broken by plac ing insects in the dark at 4.5-5.5°C for ca. 3 months, but survival was very poor (8 % from egg to adult)