Desarrollo embrionario y larval de Feltia subterranea Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) en Cuba

In the present work, aspects of the duration of the embryonic and larval development of the granulated cutworm Feltia subterranea Fabricius are described. The first generation of larvae was found feeding on tomato seedlings (Solanum lycopersicum L.) at the “Las Piedras” farm in Guanabacoa, Havana, Cuba, in October 2017. For the insect rearing, larvae were transferred to the Entomology-Acarology laboratory of the National Center for Agricultural Health (CENSA)They were kept independently in mesh cages, and tomato seedlings of the angean variety were used for their feeding until the end of that phase. In the adult phase, females and males were independently mated and observed daily to determine the time that oviposition occurred and duration of this phase. Eggs deposited on the same day were used to determine the time taken by embryonic development, duration of the larval stage, and the number of larval stages. Embryonic development took 4 days. The eggs were always deposited in clusters on young plant leaves. The insect presented six larval stages and the larval period lasted 15 days. A gregarious behavior, more marked during the first instars, was observed during the larval phase.