Age specific and fertility lifetable of callosobruchus maculatus (F.) on chickpea

Pulse beetle (Callosobruchus maculatus) (F.) is a pernicious pest of different stored grain pulses and decrease the nutritional and economic values of the pulses, which can cause huge losses in terms of quality and quantity. The present study was conducted for determining the rate of multiplication of C. maculatus was conducted at ambient temperature and relative humidity under Palampur conditions on preferred host chickpea, Cicer arietinum. Under conditions of abundant space and food supply, population of C. maculatus increased with 0.03485 (r_m) and 1.035 (λ) per day. The population multiplied 1.276 times in one week and mean time for doubling the population was 19.88 days. True generation time was 63.07 days. Life expectancy of adult was 12.37 days. The results of the study pave ways to create awareness among researchers and farmers about the nature and extent of damage caused by the C. maculates in chickpea.