Biology and Damage Pattern of Hairy Caterpillar Selepa Celtis Moore (Lepidoptera: Nolidae) on Terminelia Arjuna
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Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2021) 10(01): 25-31 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 10 Number 01 (2021) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2021.1001.004 Biology and Damage Pattern of Hairy Caterpillar Selepa celtis Moore (Lepidoptera: Nolidae) on Terminelia arjuna Hanamant Gadad*, A. H. Naqvi, Vishal Mittal, Jitendra Singh and Susmita Das Central Tasar Research and Training Institute, Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles: Govt. of India, PO- Piska-Nagri, Ranchi-835 303, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT K e yw or ds The life history of Selepa celtis Moore was studied during Aug-Sept- 2019 under Selepa celtis, laboratory conditions at Central Tasar Research and Training Institute, Ranchi, Fecundity, Egg, Jharkhand. Gravid female was observed laying eggs with the fecundity of Larval , Pupal 150.60±39.32 eggs. Incubation period of eggs was 3-4 days. Total larval, pre periods and larval instars pupal and pupal period were observed to be 16-22, 1-2 and 8- 12 days, respectively. Adult longevity was ranged from 2-6 days. During the study nature Article Info of damage was also observed in the field and it has been found that this pest is gregarious and causes the damage by defoliating the foliage. In early instars larvae Accepted: feeds by scraping the chlorophyll content of the leaves and later instars known to 04 December 2020 cause skeletonization of the leaves by feeding the whole leaf except mid rib and Available Online: 10 January 2021 veins of the leaves. Introduction tomentosa Xylia dalbriformia, Acacia nilotica and Embllca officinalis in different parts of Selepa celtis is regularly occurring nocturnal, the country (Beeson, 1941; Browne, 1968; polyphagous, multivoltine lepidopterous pest. Khan et al., 1985; Joshi and Meshram 1989, The larvae of S. celtis are polyphagous in Rizvi 2010, Haldhar et al., 2019 and Tripathy nature, sometimes causing epidemic et al., 2020). This pest is distributed defoliation. of various forest tree species viz. throughout Peninsular India, Madhya Albizia spp, Bischofia javanica, Careya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal arborea, Duabanga grandiflora, Nagaland (Sharma, 2014; Shubhalaxmi et al., Elaeodendron glaucum, Ficus glomerata, 2011). Gme Jina arborea, Lagerst roemia spiciosa, Lannea coromafldelica. Mangifera indica, Diagnostic characters of this pest are eggs are Schleichera trijuga, Shorea rohusta, laid in masses and freshly laid eggs will be Syzygium cuminii, Terminalia bellerica, T. yellowish and translucent with round shape catappa, T. chebula, T. myriocarpa, T. with reticulate markings on chorion. The 25 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2021) 10(01): 25-31 larvae of this defoliator are highly active, After getting the egg masses from nucleus hairy, and yellowish with black dots on culture one eggs mass was placed into petri abdominal tergites. In adults vertex, frons and plates (9 cm diameter). Eggs were monitored thorax are pale brown; forewings are long and daily till hatching. After hatching freshly narrow, pale brown with a purplish-grey hatched larvae (n=30) were separately reared tinge, traces of sub basal and medial waved under petri plates in 5 batches. Fresh tender black lines, a double post medial line leaves were provided for newly hatched excurved round end of cell and enclosing a larvae and observed daily till and adult blackish circular path; hind wings are small emergence. Each batch of insects were and broad, whitish, suffused with fuscous observed daily for their development and towards outer margin (Sharma, 2014). survival. Observations on incubation, larval Bharpoda et al., 2009 studied seasonal period, pre pupal erod, pupal period, occurrence of S. celtis and reported that this fecundity and adult longevity were recorded. pest is known to be active between the months of May-January. Where as Khatua Incubation period 1997 reported that peak incidence of S. celtis is during the month of April in Sal forest. Egg incubation period was recorded as the Damaging symptoms includes larvae cause duration of time taken from egg laying to damage by defoliating the leaves. Early instar hatching, which was recognized by hatching larvae causes damage by feeding the of the larva through the egg chorion. epidermal layer of the leaves by scraping. Larval period However late instars larvae causes the defoliation/skeletisation of the leaves. This The duration of larval period was recorded as pest is known to complete 6-8 generations the number of days taken from hatching of annually as reported by Jianfen and Zenghe, egg to the pupation of last instar larva. To 1990; Si-ming, 2007. determine the number of larval instars observation on number of molts (based on the In the recent years incidence of this pest is molted skin of previous instar larva) were frequent on Terminelia arjuna which is a made on to know the different instars important host plant of tasar silkworm. duration. The process was continued till pupal However there is no record on biology of this stage. pest on T. arjuna. With this background in present study on biology and nature of Pupal period damage of S. celtis on important tasar silkworm host plant (T. arjuna) has been Pupal period was recorded by considering the carried out. number of days took from pupation to adult emergence. Total development period from Materials and Methods egg to adult was computed by counting the data obtained from observations and the data Larvae of Selepa celtis collected from regarding the duration of various stages of the Terminelia arjuna plantation of Central Tasar pest were presented. Research and Training Institute, Ranchi and which has served as nucleus culture. Further it Adult longevity has been reared under laboratory condition to obtain the egg masses to study the biology. The life span of adults was recorded by enclosing twenty male and twenty female 26 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2021) 10(01): 25-31 adults in separate cages with 10 per cent observed. Based on exuviae in each moulting honey solution. the instars were recognised. Fecundity First instar larva Fecundity was recorded for five females (pre First instar larva was cream or light yellow mated) by counting the number of eggs laid colour with prominent black head. Larvae was during the oviposition period for each female. having fine hairs which are laterally arranged and length of hairs arising from terminal Nature of damage segments were comparatively longer (Fig. 2). They were very sensitive and immediately Visual observations were made under the after hatching started feeding the epidermis field to know the nature of damage and and chlorophyll content of the leaves by documented through photography. scraping. The duration of first instar larva was 3-5 days with a mean of 3.60+ 0.71 days Results and Discussion (Table 1). The biology S. celtis was studied under Second instar larva laboratory conditions on T. arjuna at mean temperature (27±2°C) and relative humidity Second instar larva was light yellow color (75±5%). The results are presented in Table 1. with black head and laterally arranged hairs The life cycle of S. celtis consists of five (Fig. 2). The duration of second instar larva developmental stages viz., egg, larva, pre- ranged from 2 to 5 days with a mean of pupa. pupa and adult stage (Fig. 1). Eggs are 2.95±0.82 days (Table 1). They are laid in groups on the upper and lower surfaces comparatively bigger in size and they also of the leaves. A brief description of each feed on the chlorophyll content of the leaves development stage is illustrated hereunder. by scraping the leaf epidermis (Fig. 2). Incubation period Third instar larva Eggs were small, oval or oblong, microscopic, Third instar larva were mustard yellow in creamy white in colour when laid and later colour with dark brown head and also exhibits turned to yellow and finally to black before 3 black spots on 1st, 6th and 8th abdominal hatching (Fig. 1). Incubation period ranged tergites and these were observed on fourth from 3 to 4 days with a mean of 3.25 ±0.71 and fifth instars also (Fig. 2). At this instar the days (Table 1). The present results are larvae were more active, fed more and size comparable with the findings of Shah (1996) increased gradually than the first and second who reported the egg period of S. celtis as instars. Third instar larvae feeds by 4.08±0.73. Marginal difference might be due skeletonising the leaves. The duration of third to the difference the host plants used in the instar larva ranged from 3 to 5 days with a studies. mean of 4.15±0.67 days (Table 1). Larva Fourth instar larva During the present study, larva undergone Fourth instar larva was orange in colour with four moults and five larval instars were dark brown head. Body segmentation was 27 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2021) 10(01): 25-31 more prominent and Hairs were oriented larvae and larval skin was very thin and laterally at each segment (Fig. 2). Fourth transparent to see the thin lining of the instar larvae were voracious feeders. The alimentary canal in the form of short median duration of fourth instar larva ranged from 4 greenish strop on the dorsal side (Fig. 2). to 6 days with a mean of 4.35±0.74 days Larval duration of fifth instar was 3.20±1.05 (Table 1). and it was ranged between 2-4 days (Table 1). The total larval period of S. celtis ranged from Fifth instar larva 16 to 22 days with a mean of 18.25±2.12 (Table 1). These results are close in Fifth instar larva was almost similar to the agreement with the findings of Shah (1996) fourth instar larvae without any major who reported that, the larval period of S.