Abstract: 【Objective】The objective of this study is to assess the effects of copper (Cu2+) stress on the growth and reproduction of Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée in the parental generation and its filial generation, and to provide a basis for the forecast of population dynamics of O. furnacalis and its control. 【Method】O. furnacalis larvae in three generations were continuously fed with standard artificial diet containing different concentrations of Cu2+ (25, 50, 100, 200 and 500 mg•kg-1) in the laboratory and the effects of copper (Cu2+) stress on the growth and reproduction of O. furnacalis were investigated.【Result】The larval survival rate, pupation rate and eclosion rate of O. furnacalis were significantly negatively correlated to the concentration of Cu2+ stress. The minimum concentrations of Cu2+ at 100, 50 and 50 mg•kg-1 were significantly decreased the survival rate and eclosion rate in the parental generation, the first and second filial generation, respectively, and 200, 50 and 50 mg•kg-1 were significantly decreased the pupation rate in each generation, respectively, which the larval mortality rates of the treatments at the concentrations of Cu2+ 200 mg•kg-1 and higher than 200 mg•kg-1 in the first and second filial generation were higher than 20%, the pupation rates of the treatment at the concentration of Cu2+ 500 mg•kg-1 in each generation were lower than 80%, the eclosion rate of the treatment was lower than 50% at the concentration of Cu2+ 200 mg•kg-1 in the second filial generation. The larval and pupal body mass of O. furnacalis were significantly negatively correlated to the concentration of Cu2+ stress. The minimum concentration of Cu2+ at 50 mg•kg-1 was significantly decreased the larval body mass in each generation, and 500, 50 and 50 mg•kg-1 were significantly decreased the pupal body mass in the parental generation, the first and second filial generation, respectively, which the body mass of the third and fifth instar larvae of the treatments at concentrations of Cu2+ 50 mg•kg-1 and higher than 50 mg•kg-1 in each generation was significantly lower than that of non-Cu2+ controls. The pupal body mass of the treatment at the concentration of Cu2+ 500 mg•kg-1 in the parental generation was significantly lower than that of non-Cu2+ controls, and the pupal body mass of the treatments at the other concentrations of Cu2+ stress was not significantly different compared with non-Cu2+ controls. The pupal body mass of the treatments at concentrations of Cu2+ 50 mg•kg-1 and higher than 50 mg•kg-1 in the first and second filial generation was significantly lower than that of non-Cu2+ controls, while the pupal body mass of the treatment at concentration of Cu2+ 25 mg•kg-1 was not significantly different compared with non-Cu2+ controls. The durations of larval and pupal stage of O. furnacalis in each generation were significantly positively correlated to the concentration of Cu2+ stress, which the durations of larval stage of the treatments at the concentrations of Cu2+ 50 mg•kg-1 and higher than 50 mg•kg-1 were higher than that of non-Cu2+ controls. The durations of pupal stage of treatments at concentrations of Cu2+ 200 mg•kg-1 and higher than 200 mg•kg-1 in the parental generation, at the concentrations of Cu2+ 100 mg•kg-1 and higher than 100 mg•kg-1 in the first filial generation, and at concentrations of Cu2+ 50 mg•kg-1 and higher than 50 mg•kg-1 in the second filial generation were significantly higher than that of non-Cu2+ controls. The oviposition number per female daily and fecundity of adult female in each generation were significantly negatively correlated to the concentration of Cu2+ stress, which the oviposition number per female daily of the treatments at the concentrations of Cu2+ 50 mg•kg-1 and higher than 50 mg•kg-1 in each generation was significantly lower that of non-Cu2+ controls, and the fecundity of adult female of all treatments under Cu2+ stress in each generation was significantly lower then that of non-Cu2+ controls. The effects of Cu2+ stress on average mass per one thousand eggs in each generation was not significantly different compared with non-Cu2+ controls, while its hatching rate of eggs was significantly negatively correlated to the concentration of Cu2+ stress, which hatching rate of eggs of the treatment at concentration of Cu2+ 100 mg•kg-1 in the first filial generation was only 66.88%. 【Conclusion】Continuous Cu2+ stress had significant inhibition effects on the growth and reproduction of O. furnacalis in the parental generation and its filial generations, and its inhibition effects were positively correlated with the concentrations of Cu2+ stress.

Key words: heavy metal , copper , Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée , growth , reproduction