Biology and Host Specificity of <I>Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata</I> Rego Barros (Lepidoptera : Arctidae)

Abstract

Pareuchaetes pseudolnsufata Rego Barros, a native to Trinidad and Central and South America, was introduced in India for the suppression of Chromolaena odorata weed. Biological studies of P. pseudoinsualta showed 2.12 ± 0.61, 6.36 ± 2.16, end 1.62 ± 0.84 days as pre-oviposition, oviposition and past-oviposition periods. Eggs, larvel end pupal periods were observed as 6.4 ± 1.52; 29.6 ± 3.69; end 8.5 ± 3.24 days. Maximum daily consumption (7.28 cm² leaf erea) was observed in the fourth stage lerval Instar while 145.63 cm² of leaf area was consumed by a single lerva during its entire larval period. Larvae of P. pseudoinsulata were found host spacific and did not feed even on the leaves of an allied species Eupatorium tripinerve, thus can be employed as a promising bio-control agent to suppress this noxious weed.