Evaluation of Artificial Diets for Coconut Blackheaded Caterpillar, Opisina arenosella Walker

Semisynthetic artificial diets incorporating leaf powders of toddy palm, wild date palm and coconut palm, each in combination with defatted soya/kabuligram/wheatgerm, were tested for rearing Opisina arenosella Diet with toddy palm in combination with defatted soya was most suitable and recorded higher % pupation (86 4%), adult emergence (59.4%) and fecundity (68.6). The suitability for development based on the evaluation, was in the order of toddy palm + defatted soya > coconut + defatted soya > wild date palm + defatted soya > coconut + kabuligram > coconut + wheatgerm. However, biological parameters were not exactly comparable with those observed while rearing on natural host.