Indian Journal of Entomology, Review Article (2020) DoI No.:

EFFECT OF HOST PLANTS ON THE BIOLOGY OF SPODOPTERA LITURA

Ghulam murtaza, muhammad ramzan2*, muhammad Waqar Sabir1, mamoon Shafiq2, muhammad Shahid1, ahSan maroof, muhammad faiSal and hafiz muhammad aSif

Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS-University of Agriculture Multan, Punjab Pakistan 1Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Punjab Pakistan

2Institute of Plant protection, MNS-University of Agriculture Multan, Punjab Pakistan *Email: ramzan.mnsua@gmail.com (corresponding author)

ABSTRACT

Spodoptera litura is an important polyphagous insect pest and information on its host plant relationship aspects is important for developing IPM approaches. The present study evaluates the effect of five natural hosts (cabbage, maize, okra, alfalfa and sesbania) and an artificial diet on the biology of S. litura under laboratory conditions. It was observed that cabbage is the most suitable host- as the larval length was found maximum on cabbage (3.53 cm) followed by alfalfa (3.50 cm) while the least was on okra (2.79 cm). The life span and fecundity of female was also maximum with cabbage; and the least number of egg masses of 7.5 and 9.5 were observed on maize and okra, respectively. The total number of eggs laid was maximum with alfalfa (7200) followed by cabbage (6000) and artificial diet (5200); the least being with maize (1900) and jantar (2000). These results reveal that all the biological parameters viz., egg, larva, pupa and adult of S. litura are influenced by the host plants.

Key words: Spodoptera litura, hosts, cabbage, maize, okra, alfalfa, suitability, artificial diet, fecundity, sex ratio, survival,

E:Review article-- M Ramjan

Spodoptera litura (F.) is a destructive and polyphagous pest of various crops including cotton growing areas of Pakistan (Saeed et al., 2010; Ahmad et al., 2007). It is mostly found in tropical and temperate areas and has high migratory potential (Fu et al., 2015: Tenywa et al., 2018). It infests many crops such as cash crops, fodder crops, weeds, vegetables and horticultural plants (Simpson et al., 2002; Raubenheimer and Simpson, 2003; Lee et al., 2003; Ahmad et al., 2013). It damages the immature parts of plant and making small galleries (Naz et al., 2003), and causes economic losses (Yinghua et al., 2017; Tuan et al., 2014; Zhang et al., 2006). In the absence of suitable host plants S. litura migrates to other plants for the completion of their growth and development. It is an important pest of agricultural and horticultural crops in Pakistan too, and infests mainly alfalfa, corn and barseem (Ahmad et al., 2008; 2013; Khan et al., 2011; Kaur, 2012). Host preference studies on S. litura from China (Kaur, 2012; Zhu et al., 2000; 2005; Qin et al., 2004), Pakistan (Ahmad et al., 2007; Chaudhry et al., 2017) and India (Christou et al., 2006; Xue et al., 2010) are available and various methods of control are known (Ramzan et al., 2019). Due to excessive use of insecticides, resistance to various insecticides in S. litura had been reported (Saleem et al., 2008; Nathan and Kalaivani, 2005; Sang

et al., 2013; Wan et al., 2008; Kaur et al., 2014). The present study evaluates alfalfa, cabbage, maize and okra as hosts on the growth and developmental parameters of S. litura under laboratory conditions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Spodoptera litura larvae were collected from farmers’ fields from Faisalabad, brought to the laboratory of Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad for rearing. Larvae were placed in plastic containers and hosts provided as food on daily basis. After emergence of adults, three pairs were transferred to separate rearing cages and nappy liners placed on their walls for egg lying. For adult feeding 10% solution of sugar was provided in a cotton piece. On daily basis, laid eggs were collected and singly placed into separate petri dishes to observe their hatching periods. After hatching, larvae were reared on the hosts viz., alfalfa, cabbage, maize, okra and sesbania, and an artificial diet to check their effect on S. litura. Rearing was done at 26±2°C, 65±5% RH and 14:10 hr day and light.

Second instar larvae were used and prestarved for 24 hr with three replications of 10 larvae each, and placed @1 larvae/ petri dish. On daily basis, data for larval

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and pupal weight, length were observed with digital weighing balance and measuring scale, respectively. Adult emergence ratio with fourth generation was worked out. For each treatment, three pairs of adults were shifted into rearing cages separately and a nappy liner was placed on cage to facilitate the egg laying. The number of egg batches/ eggs laid by single female were observed. Sorour et al. (2011) method was used for the preparation of artificial diet. One-way ANOVA was performed to evaluate the significance of host plants and artificial diet on the biological parameters of S. litura such as fecundity, larval, pupal weight and length, respectively, and keeping host plant as main factors.

Tukey HSD test was performed to separate the means. Statistical analysis was done with SPSS 20.0 software.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results revealed that growth and development of S. litura was significantly affected with hosts (p<0.05), as had been shown earlier by Xue et al. (2010) and Ahmad et al. (2013) that larval length and pupal weight of S. litura is affected (Shekhawat et al., 2018); and growth was maximum on cabbage (8.75 days) followed by alfalfa (8.023 days) and minimum on okra (7.04 days) (Table 1). Study with different

Table 1. Effect of host plants on larvae and pupae of S. litura

Larval developmentDiet Length (cm) Weight (g) Period (No. of days) Cabbage 3.53±0.13a 0.70±0.04a 8.75±0.40aOkra 2.79±0.23b 0.63±0.03ab 7.04±0.38bSesbania (Jantar) 3.49±0.12ab 0.64±0.04bc 7.44±0.32abAlfalfa 3.50±0.20ab 0.61±0.04ab 8.23±0.33abMaize 2.89±0.24b 0.52±0.02cd 7.20±0.35bArtificial 3.13±0.13ab 0.43±0.03d 7.30±0.41bF-value 3.881 21.713 3.990P-value <0.05 <0.001 <0.05Means ±SE in the same column followed by similar letters not significantly different (p > 0.05)

Pupal developmentDiet Length (cm) Weight (g) Period (No. of days)Cabbage 2.10±0.05a 0.09±0.01a 13.63±0.35dOkra 1.70±0.42a 0.08±0.01b 10.60±0.41bSesbania (Jantar) 1.60±0.04bc 0.06±0.01b 11.63±0.36cMaize 1.30±0.12c 0.04±0.01c 10.70±0.47bAlfalfa 1.80±0.04b 0.05±0.01b 11.22±0.41cdArtificial 1.90±0.40a 0.06±0.01c 15.01±0.61aF-value 14.901 520 38.903P-value <0.001 <0.05 <0.05Developmental durations (No. of days) Developmental Cabbage Okra Maize Sesba Artificial Stages (Days) (Days) (Days) (Days) (Days)Pre-oviposition 2.19 2.03 1.90 2.10 2.00Oviposition 5.71 5.50 3.12 4.54 5.45 Post Oviposition 1.43 1.21 1.10 1.22 1.30 Male longevity 7.01 5.30 3.12 6.01 5.99 Female longevity 8.30 6.10 3.23 7.00 7.09Total life span 39.40 21.90 38.06 32.67 35.29(From egg to adult stage)

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Effect of host plants on the biology of Spodoptera litura 3 Ghulam Murtaza et al.

hosts and environmental factors are available (Zhu et al. 2000; Chen et al. 2002; Seema et al. 2004). Present results agree with the earlier observation that maize was the minimal preferrd one. The larval length and pupal weight were maximum with cabbage (3.53 cm; 2.10 g). Maize was the least effective host and cabbage the most preferred. Pupal developmental period was more on artificial diet (17.00 days), shortest on cabbage (9.66 days); and pupal length more with cabbage. Earlier study on the pupal period show that it is not affected by hosts (Patel et al. 1986). The developmental period of larvae was maximum on cabbage (8.75 days) and the least with okra (7.04 days). These present results on the egg lying capacity, adult longevity, sex ratio, larval and pupal period vary with earlier ones (Zhu et al., 2000; Chen et al., 2002; Seema et al., 2004; Courdon et al., 2002; Zhu et al., 2000).

The eggs laid by S. litura on host plants differed significantly (total eggs: F = 348.0; df = 4, 74; P < 0.001; F = 174.0; df = 4, 74; p < 0.001); also, significant

difference in eggs/ egg masses was observed (total eggs: F = 348.0; df = 4, 74; Pp< 0.001; egg masses: F = 174.0; df = 4, 74; p< 0.001); 21 and 18 egg masses were laid on alfalfa and cabbage, respectively, while 13 and 10 on artificial diet and sesbania, respectively (Figs. 1-2). These observations differ with earlier ones (Qin et al., 2004; Zhu et al., 2005). Mabrouk et al. (2001) and El-Awady et al. (2009) observed more eggs on cabbage. Sex ratio is influenced by hosts as revealed in the results. Adult emergence was maximum with cabbage (93.11%±6.73) with males being more with artificial diet (29.00) followed by cabbage (26.00). The shortest life period of S. litura male and female was observed on maize (Figs. 3-4). It was observed that cabbage is the most suitable host followed by alfalfa as observed earlier (Wakil et al., 2011; Maung, 2016). Female longevity was more as compared to male. These observations agree with those of earlier studies (Xue et al., 2010; Ahmad et al., 2013). The oviposition period was found maximum with cabbage and the least with maize. The present study provides an understanding of

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Fig. 2. Egg masses/ 3 females of S. litura

Fig. 1. Eggs/ 3 females of S. litura

Fig. 4. Sex ratio in S. litura

Fig. 3. Adult emergence (%) in S. litura

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the effect of host plants on the biological parameters of S. litura.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Authors thank the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan for facilitating this study. Mr. Muhammad Ramzan, wrote this paper.

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(Manuscript Received: February, 2020; Revised: March, 2020; Accepted: March, 2020; Online Published: March, 2020)

Online published (Preview) in www.entosocindia.org Ref. No. 20051

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