Biology and Medicine

Abstrait

Suitability of host plants for the development of polyphagous defoliator, Eupterote undata (Lepidoptera: Eupterotidae)

*Faisal M, Ahmad M, Saini D, Pahwa E

Eupterote undata (Lepidoptera: Eupterotidae) is a polyphagous defoliator. The effect of four preferred host plants of forestry importance viz., Paulownia fortunei, Populus deltoides, Tectona grandis and Toona ciliata on the larval development of E. undata was studied. There was a significant difference in the consumption of leaf quantity, duration of larval stages and weight gained by larval instars of E. undata when reared on different host plants. Total consumption of leaf of T. ciliata was maximum (10989.37 mg) by a larva of E. undata during its total larval period when leaves were provided separately. It was followed by 10075.83 mg of T. grandis, 8301.87 mg of P. deltoides and 6260.37 mg of P. fortunei. E. undata showed shortest larval period of 114.97 days when larvae fed on P. fortunei and longest development period (151.66 days) on T. ciliata. Among the four host plants studied, maximum total weight (1768.08 mg) was gained by the larvae fed on P. fortunei and minimum (980.54 mg) by the larvae fed on T. ciliata. Larvae gained 1229.31 mg weight when fed on P. deltoides and 1071.15 mg on T. grandis.