Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 May 2012
A method of producing radioactive eggs of the flea beetle Altica carduorum Guér. is described. Adult beetles were fed on young thistles (Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.) into which P32 had been incorporated via the roots. Feeding was continued until the females had reached four and the males five levels of radioactivity. The effects on oviposition, total egg production, viability of the eggs, and longevity of the beetles were studied. The results indicate that a calculated body content of 0.03 μc P32 in the females would be optimal where large numbers of labelled eggs are required.