The impact of a tapioca-based artificial diet on the developmental rate, life history parameters, and fertility was examined over five consecutive generations for the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a highly polyphagous pest of many agricultural crops. The study showed that when fed the tapioca-based artificial diet during larval stage, larval and pupal developmental period, percent pupating, pupal weight, emergence rate of male and female, longevity, fecundity and hatching were non-significantly different than that of the control agar-based artificial diet. Moreover, the cost to rear on tapioca-based diet approached 2.13 times less than the cost of rearing on the agar-based artificial diet. These results demonstrate the effectiveness and potential cost savings of the tapioca-based artificial diet for rearing H. armigera.

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This paper reports on a comparison of a modified diet with other diets and procedures used in mass rearing of Helicoverpa armigera. The results on the biology of H. armigera reared on the modified diet for up to six consecutive generations indicate that the pupal recovery percentage ranged form 71.2±9.59 to 83.7±5.98; the adult energence percentage varied from 59.6±3.15 to 78.4±3.29.The maximum egg yield/female was recorded to be 273.3±13.6 in the first generation. The average cost to produce one pupa of this insect was calculated to be Rs. 0.60, which in equivalent ot half the cost of production per pupa using other diet formulas.