Biology and morphometry of Spodoptera litura Fabricus, a serious defoliator of mango (Mangifera indica) in Jammu Region (J&K).
Madhvi Gupta, Tara J. S., Sheetal Sharma, Anu Bala
Author Affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Jammu, Jammu (Tawi) - 180 006, J&K, India.
Munis Entomology & Zoology 10 : 215-221
Abstract : Spodoptera litura is an important polyphagous pest in India. It is serious pest of various economically important crops including mango and biology of Spodoptera litura was studied in detail on mango during the period of March, 2012 to February, 2013 in Jammu. Spodoptera litura underwent the holometabolous type of development and the studies on biology of S. litura indicated that on an average female moth laid 200-250 eggs in her life span. The duration of egg, larvae, and pupa lasted for an average of 5.0±0.00 days, 15.45±1.14 and 9.37±1.37 days. The Adult male and female survived for a period of 7-9 days with an average of 8.32±0.20 days. The total life cycle from egg laying to adult emergence completes in 27-31 days with an average of 28.81±1.99 days. The adult female and male are hairy. The female is pale brown while the male is darker. The female is bigger with a stout abdomen while the male is narrower and tapering towards the tip.