Comparative biology of tomato fruit borer, Helicoverpa armigera reared on natural versus artificial diet

Abstract

Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) is a highly destructive polyphagous pest affecting a wide range of economically important crops. This study was conducted to evaluate the comparative performance of H. armigera when reared on a natural tomato-based diet versus a chickpea flour-based artificial diet under controlled laboratory conditions at CCS HAU, Hisar. Larvae reared on the artificial diet exhibited significantly enhanced biological performance, including greater larval and pupal weights, reduced developmental duration (20.8 vs. 25.9 days), increased adult emergence (86.7% vs. 73.3%), higher fecundity (438.2 vs. 324.6 eggs/female), and extended adult longevity. Despite these differences in life history traits, enzymatic assays revealed no significant variation in key detoxification enzymes α-esterases, β-esterases, glutathione S-transferase (GST), cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, and carboxylesterase between the two diet groups. These findings suggest that chickpea-based artificial diets are nutritionally superior for laboratory rearing of H. armigera without compromising metabolic functions, and they offer practical advantages for mass rearing and bioassay applications in pest management research.