Abstract: This paper studied the neonate starvation-endurance duration of four Brachionus calyciflorus clones (Clone A, B, C and D) with different biochemical-genetic characteristics at 15 ℃, 20 ℃, 25 ℃ and 30 ℃, and the relationships of this duration with the temperature and the body- and egg volumes of B. calyciflorus. The results showed that at 15 ℃, the neonates of Clone B had the shortest starvation-endurance duration (45.67 h); at 20 ℃ and 25 ℃,the neonates’starvation-endurance duration of Clone C was the longest, being 61.33 h and 72.01 h, respectively; while at 30 ℃, this duration of Clone A was the longest (40.11 h). The neonates’ starvation-endurance duration of Clone A was the longest at 15 ℃, those of Clone B and C were the shortest at 30 ℃, while that of Clone D decreased with raising temperature. The neonates’ starvation-endurance duration of all the four clones was negatively correlated with temperature. There was a negative correlation between this duration of Clone A and its egg volume, and the reverse was true for Clone C. The neonates’ starvation-endurance duration of Clone B and D was positively correlated with the body volume of rotifer mother.

Key words: Plutelia zylostella, Cruciferous vegetable, Experimental population life table