OVIPOSITION PREFERENCE OF A POLYPHAGOUS MOTH, THE OBLIQUEBANDED LEAFROLLER, CHORISTONEURA-ROSACEANA (HARRIS) (LEPIDOPTERA, TORTRICIDAE)

The daily pattern of oviposition, the rank order of oviposition preference for three potential hosts, and the effect of experience on oviposition preference were investigated under natural abiotic conditions in the obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana. Females from the two adult cohorts occurring seasonally oviposited between 0400 and 2400 hours, with peak oviposition around 2000 hours. Both non-choice and choice oviposition trials revealed that the apple and snowberry hosts were preferred over wild rose. Oviposition preference resulted in delays in laying on the less preferred host, but seemed to have no effect on clutch size. Females caged with exclusive access to one of the three hosts appeared to have similar lifetime fecundity or longevity. A first oviposition on wild rose resulted in a delay in laying a second clutch on that host, which suggests the presence of aversive learning that could function to reduce the liklihood of laying successive clutches on a less preferred host. A first oviposition on the apple host, however, seemed to have no effect on further oviposition preference. Hence, it appears that learning would not function specifically to concentrate foraging of the females within apple orchards.