Use of a Surrogate Stem for Eliciting Ovipositional Response of Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae

A surrogate stem made of wax paper elicited optimum ovipositional response from Busseola fusca (Fuller). It closely resembled a maize stem with intact leafs heaths, which provided physical stimuli necessary for B. fusca egg laying, and facilitated quick recovery of eggs. B. fusca females readily inserted their ovipositors into spaces between the surrogate stem and leafsheaths and laid eggs in linear rows. In both choice or no-choice ovipositional tests, gravid females laid equal or higher numbers of eggs on the surrogate stems than on susceptible INB-A maize stems. The method has facilitated the mass rearing of B. fusca and bioassays of plant allelochemicals to the insect ovipositional response.