Biology of Brinjal Shoot and Fruit Borer Leucinodes orbonalis (Guen.)

Abstract

Shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis Gueneis one of the most destructive pests of Brinjal in India. Laboratory experiments were carried out during 2014-2015 in the Department of Agricultural Entomology, Indira Gandhi Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) to study the biology. The incubation, larval and pupal periods were 3.72, 11.29 and 7.35 days, respectively. The longevity of adult was 4.03 days. Total life cycle completed in 26.40 days and male to female ratio was 1:1.95. Key words Brinjal, biology, shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis Brinjal or eggplant or aubergine (Solanum melongena L.) is an important solanaceous crop grown throughout most of the part of India around the year. India ranks second to china in the global production of brinjal. The cultivation of eggplant is more than 1,600,000 ha producing around 50 million Mt throughout the world, among which, ninety percent of production from five countries, of which china shares 58 percent of output, India, 25%, followed by Iran, Egypt and Turkey (FAO, 2012). The average productivity of brinjal in Chhattisgarh is lower than national average, there are several constraints which are responsible for reduction in yield, among them insect pest is one of the most important factor (Suresh et al. 1996). Of 26 pests recorded on brinjal crop (Vevai, 1970), brinjal shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee is the most destructive pest of brinjal (Solanum melongena L.). Brinjal shoot and fruit borer (Leucinodes orbonalis) is a monophagous pest. It is very important pest on brinjal owing to its feeding habit. By habit, it is an internal borer which damages the tender shoots and fruits, which causes serious damage especially during the fruiting stage. The percent fruit infestation caused by the pest reached up to 90.86% (Rahman 1997). So, the sufficient knowledge about the biology of an insect is necessary for adopting suitable control measure. MATERIALS AND METHODS To study the biology of the borer L. orbanalis rearing of the pest was done to obtain mass culture. The infested fruits were collected from the general crop of brinjal and were kept in glass Petri dishes (10 × 10 cm) having a layer of cut pieces of paper. Each Petri dish was covered with a piece of muslin cloth and tightened with rubber band. The food was changed every alternate day. Proper hygienic conditions were maintained during experimental period. The full grown larvae that come out of the fruits pupated in spun…