Laboratory Study on Effect of Color on Oviposition Rate of Wheat Midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)

Studying the effect of host color on insect behavior can be useful for managing crop pests. Wheat spikes were exposed to wheat midge in the laboratory for oviposition (20±3ºC, 70% R.H. and 16:8 h L:D). Different color folders were attached to corners of a 60-cm cubic cage. Then, 10 wheat spikes were placed in front of each folder and 40 midges were released inside each cage. In the four-choice test, wheat midges oviposited more on spikes with yellow (183±24) background followed by blue (161±11), green (139±8) and red (96±8). In the threechoice test, wheat midges oviposited more on the control (140±16) treatment followed by yellow (123±13), blue (114±10) and green (100±12). Wheat midges oviposited more on the black treatment (62 ± 7) than the control (92 ± 10) in a two-choice test. In the other two-choice test, wheat midges oviposited more on the control (179 ± 16) compared to red (84 ± 11). The results showed that the color contrast between wheat spikes and background was important for oviposition on wheat spikes. Red and black backgrounds were deterrent; however, yellow and blue backgrounds were not.