The remarkable locomotory ability of Wiseana (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) pupae: an adaptation to predation and environmental conditions?

The effective management of insect pests requires an understandingof their basic biology and overall life cycle including all life stages. The pupal stage of Wiseanaspp., a majorpasture pest in New Zealand, has been neglectedin terms of investigation in to its biology for almost a century. This study investigated the locomotory ability of the pupae of two Wiseanaspecies (W. cervinataand W. copularis) inside artificial burrows.Descent time and speed were measuredfrom digital images. Both species descended the tunnel in response to applied stimuli but W. cervinata descended slightly faster than W. copularis.Thisis the first study to quantify the movement of a ground-dwellinghepialid pupa inside a burrow.