comparison of plant species as host for cabbage leaf miner in khuzestan province

cabbage leaf miner scaptomyza flava (fallen) (l)iptera: drosophilidae) is a native and oligophagous leaf miner insect on cruciferous plants (brassicaceae). it occurs in many parts of the world and throughout khuzestan. the relationship between feeding and ovipositional preferences of insect, and host plant suitability on seven host plant species (cauliflower brassica oleracea var. botryds, green cabbage b. oleracea var. capitata, hedge mustard sisymbrium officinale, brussels sprout b. oleracea var. germmifers, turnip brassica rapa, cucumber cucumis mtivits, wheat triticum aestivum and rice oryza saliva) was evaluated. ovipositional preference of 5. flava was determined by measuring feeding punctures and egg density after ndult female flies were given a simultaneous choice and non-choice of all host plants for feeding and oviposition. studies were performed under greenhouse conditions. the experimental design was a randomized complete block one with 8 treatments and 5 replications of each treatment. s. jlava showed distinct hierarchical ordering in its ovipositional preference, with turnip, green cabbage, and hedge mustard being preferred over all others. approximately 1.05 and 5.8 times more eggs were deposited on green cabbage than on turnip and cauliflower respectively. when the percentage of punctures with eggs was calculated for each species, cauliflower had by far the highest value at 10% and 19.7% in choice and non-choice tests respectively. for all other species on which eggs were laid it was less than half this. in non-choice tests, females laid more eggs on green cabbage and turnip than other brassicas.