The Effect of Vitamin C and / Or Gamma Irradiation on Some Biological Aspects of the Greater Wax Moth, Galleria mellonella (Pyralidae: Lepidoptera)

This study is conducted to determine the impact of unilateral and joint with vitamin C concentrations (0.25 Molar) and gamma rays in artificial diets on some biological aspects of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella L. Vitamin C showed the positive impact of combined treatment with the dose rate 100 Gy on the average number of eggs per mated female and on percentage of the eggs hatched through the crosses T male X N female and N male X T female. Larval and Pupal period for both sexes did much affect by either radiation or vitamin C or both together. The average weights of larvae and pupae were significantly increased in the most concentrations when compared with the untreated control group. The highest percentage of survived larvae was 96.30 % from the control at the concentration 0.25 Molar of vitamin C and the lowest percentage was 61.11% from the control at dose rate 300 Gy only. While highest rate of the emergence was found by the treatments of vitamin C only or combined with the dose rate 100 Gy. The percentage of sex ratio was in favor of males at the dose rate 300 Gy only. Vitamin C significantly increased the activity of GOT and GPT enzymes by increasing the dose of gamma radiation in larvae of G. mellonella as compared to the control group