Effect of diet on macronutrient levels in navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Macronutrients are fundamental to insect behaviors like reproduction and flight which is critical to understand in the development of area-wide integrated pest management programs. Navel orangeworm (NOW) is a pest of almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and figs in California, and can reproduce on a number of other non-crop hosts. As a non-feeding adult, it is crucial for NOW to obtain sufficient levels of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids as a larva. In particular, lipids are known as a primary fuel for flight which allows for intra- and inter-orchard movement by NOW. Since NOW larvae mature on a singular food source, the host crop choice by gravid females may have a significant downstream effect on adult performance. In this study, we employed colorimetric assays to quantify the macronutrients in freshly emerged NOW adults reared on almonds, pistachios, walnuts, figs, and wheat bran. More specifically, to determine protein, glycogen, and lipid levels in adult moths reared from different hosts, we used Bradford, anthrone, and sulfo-phospho vanillin assays, respectively. Future validation and optimization of these approaches has potential to provide a novel tool to study the movement ecology of this economically important insect pest.