Inhibitory effect of blue light on the larval molting and development of, Rotylenchulus reniformis

Abstract

The second stage larvae of Rotylenchulus reniformis molt and develop into immature females or mature males without feeding. This paper describes an inhibitory effect of visible light on the molting and development of the nematodes incubated in 0.6ml of deionized water contained in a small Syracuse watch glass. Only bluelight among all visible lights emanated from colored fluorescent lamps showed theinhibitory effect on the molting and development, and finally caused the death.The irradiation energy stronger than 8, 000 erg cm^-2sec^-1was effective. Irradiationtest with monochromatic lights produced through interference-filters revealed thatthe shorter wavelength of blue light the more effective against the larvalmolting, and the upper limit of the wavelength, which was effective, was postulated to bebetween 433 nm and 463 nm.