Abstract
The tussock caterpillar, Dasychira mendosa Hubner, a polyphagous pest of wild and cultivated plants is reported for the first time on Acacia nilotica ssp. indica (Babul), from Tiruchirapalli area of Tamil Nadu. Studies conducted on the biology of the pest on the new host reveal that the pest takes 57.80 ± 2.94 days to complete its life-cycle. The female moth lays 211.43 ± 41.70 eggs. The incubation period is 8 days and hatchability is 16%. The larval period is 41.80 ± 3.19 days, with 6 to 8 instar stages and the pupation period is 7.82 ± 0.27 day. The adult longevity is 7.63 ± 0.60 days and the difference between the male and female longevity is not significant. The female ahs pre-oviposition period of 4.67 ± 0.17 days, oviposition period of 3.00 ± 0.46 days and post-oviposition period of maximum 2 days. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd larval instars are minor leaf feeders, but from the 4th instar onwards they become voracious. Suitable and eco-friendly control measures to contain the pest in the field are recommended. In view of the gradual spreading of this pest to babul plantations raised in different localities, need for monitoring the pest population in the field is suggested.
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