Effects of Host Plant on Spodoptera litura under Laboratory Condition

Abstract

In Asia, the polyphagous pest, Spodoptera litura defoliates a variety of agricultural and horticulture crops. The current study was undertaken at ecology laboratory of MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan during 2018-2019 to study the effect of different host plants, alfalfa, sesbania and cabbage on biology of Spodoptera litura under laboratory condition. The host plants had an impact on all of the biological variables that were measured in the study. The average mean duration of first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth larval instars on sesbania was 3.32±0.16a, 3.45±0.10a, 3.67±0.12a, 4.37±0.11a, 6.55±0.19a, and 5.30±0.20a days, respectively. The development times of S. litura larval instars fed on various host plants differed significantly (F = 90.65; df = 3,125; p 0.05). Among the tested host plants, sesbania was the most suitable host plant for pest growth and development followed by cabbage, and alfalfa. Alfalfa was the least important host for pest. Sesbania was found to be the most advantageous host for Spodoptera litura, followed by cabbage and alfalfa, according to the study.