Investigations on the antennal role in mating and host selection behaviour of Spodoptera litura (Fabricius)

Abstract

Experiments were carried out with male and female adults of Spodoptera litura to ascertain the role of antennae in their mating and host selection behavior. The olfactory responses of S. litura larvae to odour emitted by different hosts viz., castor, cauliflower, sunflower, tomato and lab lab were tested in multiarm olfactometer. The experiments to know the role of antennae in mate and host selection were carried out with the adults with antennae and without antennae showed that the treatments having adult males with antennae laid fertile eggs, whereas, male without antennae laid sterile eggs. As far as the host preference for oviposition was concerned, the treatments involving male without antennae and female with antennae and, both male and female with antennae preferred castor and sunflower, respectively. The results of multiarm olfactometer experiments showed that the larvae had more preference for castor and least preference for lab lab, while, adult female preferred sunflower for oviposition.