Ovipositional preference of Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) on pods of different host plants

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the Ovipositional preference of Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) on pods of different host plants under laboratory conditions. From the present investigation, it was seen that the maximum number of eggs laid by Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) was in green gram pods (17.50) followed by chickpea pods (14.33) and cowpea (11.50) and black gram pods (8.50). Maximum percentage of hatched eggs was in green gram pods (90.55%) and the minimum hatchability percentage was in cowpea pods (81.80%). The total adult emergence was maximum in green gram (79.16%) followed by cowpea (76.55%), chickpea (75.53%) and black gram (64.82%). The reproductive success was highest on the green gram pods (65.52%) and lowest on the black gram pods (42.32%). The developmental period was highest in black gram (33.12) followed by chickpea (32.12), green gram (31.05 days) and cowpea (28.13 days). Growth Index was maximum on cowpea (2.73) and minimum on black gram (1.96). Thus green gram was found to the most favourable host plant for oviposition by Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) while cowpea was most suitable host for development of the pest.