Effects of temperature on the development and survival of the bagworms Pteroma pendula and Metisa plana (Lepidoptera: Psychidae)

The effects of temperature on the development and survival of pteroma pendula and metisa plana was investigated over a range of temperatures in the laboratory. pteroma pendula and m. plana were able to complete their life cycles at temperatures between 20°c-35°c but did not survive at 15°c and 40°c. the duration of life stages of p. pendula significantly decreased with increases in temperature with optimum survival of between 25°c and 30°c,while the highest was at 30°c. in the case of m. plana,except for survivorship of male pupae with five instars at 79% at 25°c,the optimum survivorship was around 30°c for all other life stages. the temperature threshold for p. pendula life stages was 11°c-18°c,while that of m. plana ranged from 2°c-16°c; when subdivided,a threshold of 2°c-8°c was recorded for the egg to adult stages and 9°c-16°c for the egg and larval stages. thermal constant for p. pendula was 80.3°d,443.0°d,566.3°d,47.5°d,33.9°d for eggs,female larvae,male larvae,female pupae and male pupae,respectively. overall egg to female and male adult emergence required 544.0°d and 761.3°d to complete. for m. plana,the readings were 555°d-1083°d for the larval stages,69°d-200°d for eggs and pupae,while the egg to adult stages recorded the highest at 1440°d-2134°d. both species recorded significantly highest temperature of 30°c for adult female weight,fecundity and r0 with the most favourable values of t,dt,rc,rm and λ recorded at 35°c.