Autoradiographic Detection of Lesser Cornstalk Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Eggs in Soil Environments

A nondestructive method of detecting lesser cornstalk borer, Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Zeller), eggs in soil is outlined. Fourth instar larvae were fed a diet containing radioactive phosphorus (4 μ Ci/g), and eggs laid by females that emerged from these larvae contained sufficient radioactivity to expose X-ray film. Fecundity, oviposition rates, and longevity were similar for ³²P-labeled adult females and unlabeled adult females. In greenhouse tests using corn planted in simulations of conventional tillage and no-tillage conditions, eggs were autoradiographically detected in soil and on plant tissue.