Evaluation of life-cycle of rice meal moth, Corcyra cephalonica stainton larvae reared on different diets

Abstract

Rice meal moth, Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is one of the most used factitious hosts in laboratory for bio-control research and the host rearing diet is of potential importance to maintain the nutritional quality. The present study was carried out at the Bio-control laboratory, Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, IGKV, Raipur (C.G.), with an aim to assess the influence of various diets on the life-cycle of C. cephalonica. Twelve different cereal grain diets were prepared including solo and in combination along with and without groundnut fortification. It was found that T1-rice resulted in longer period of developmental in all the stages for both male (67.33 days) and female (70.00 days) whereas T10- Jowar + groundnut resulted in shortest developmental period of 45.67 and 48.67 days for adult male and female respectively with females having longer developmental period in comparison to the males.