Studies on Off-season Activity and Carry-over of Castor Semiiooper, Achaea Janata Linn. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Studies on off-season activity and carry-over of castor semiiooper, Achaea janata L. apart from biology on five new hosts were carried out during 1992 to 1994 at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad. During offseason there was egg laying from March to May third week with little discontinuity, but it was regular thereafter in increasing density indicating the activity of moth throughout the year. During off-season the pest survived on perennial castor initially and later on some field crops, horticultural crops, several weed hosts and self sown crop of castor which served as alternate hosts. New hosts like Jatropha multifida, Euphorbia ganiculata, Phyllanthus reticulatus, Sonchus oleraceus, and Luctuca runcinata were added to the list of hosts and biology on these and two already reported hosts like Euphorbia hirta, E. hypersifolia was stuided. Castor, the principal host, recorded minimum larval and total developmental period (TDP), maximum larval and pupal weight and high fecundity. Larval and total developmental period was maximum on P. reticulatus followed by P. maderaspatensis. The next best host plants after castor based on TDP were S. oleraceus, L. runcinata, J. multifida, E. hirta, E. ganiculata, E. hypersifolia and P. reticulatus.