Design of a Sampling Plan for Studies on the Population Dynamics of the Cabbage Maggot, Hylemya Brassicae (Diptera: Anthomyiidae)

A study of sampling variation in field populations of the cabbage maggot, Hylemya brassicae (Bouché), on cabbage in Ontario, revealed that inter-plant and block differences were rarely significant. For the immature stages, the most appropriate sample unit was the plant root together with a 4- to 6-in. diameter core of soil. The number of samples required was inversely proportional to population density; this relationship was graphed for three levels of sampling precision.The insect is bivoltine in eastern Ontario but has three generations in the southwestern part of the province.