Western corn rootworm egg hatch and larval development under constant and varying temperatures

Predicting western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte; WCR) development in the field depends on models that use experimentally determined degree-days (°D). For constant temperature regimes, this temperature sum can be reliably used to predict hatch and development of WCR larvae. In the first experiment in climate cabinets, we evaluated the effects of varying day–night (4 and 6 °C difference) temperature regimes compared to equivalent constant temperature regimes on hatch, development, and recovery of WCR larvae from a non-diapausing population. Relative to constant diurnal temperatures, varying day–night temperatures resulted in earlier larval hatch and accelerated larval development (especially when day–night temperatures differed by 6 °C) due to direct temperature effects (i.e., the Kaufmann-effect) and to enhanced plant growth. For WCR eggs, the temperature sums needed for hatch in the field are overestimated when they are determined by models based on constant experimental temperatures. Recovery of larvae from soil was not affected by temperature, but was positively associated with plant height. In a second experiment we evaluated whether the found effect of varying temperature ranges on the acceleration of larval hatch is also influenced by the level of these varying temperatures. Initial hatch started earlier by varying diurnal temperatures only under a low-temperature regime (14 ± 4 °C). For herbivorous insects like WCR, plant growth effects induced by varying temperature regimes may result in increased variation in temperature-based developmental parameters. Consideration of these effects will improve models that predict WCR hatching patterns and will improve the development and timing of control strategies.