*Crop Protection Section, Directorate of Oilseeds Research, Hyderabad-500 030, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Acharya N.G Ranga Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500 030, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Studies on feeding potential of pod bruchid, Caryedon serratus Olivier (Bruchidae: Coleoptera) on stored groundnut revealed that there were four grub instars of the bruchid. First instar was a non-feeding stage that survived for 1–2 days, second instar grub consumed 0.0026 g of kernel in its life span of 5.5 days, third instar grub consumed 0.0079 g in six days and fourth instar grub consumed 0.1310 g of kernel in its life span of 7–8 days. The first instar grub bored on the shell with the help of its prothoracic hooks and entered in to kernel to settle underneath the seed coat. The total quantity of food consumed by a single grub with four instars was 0.1415 g of kernel.
Feeding potential, pod bruchid, Caryedon serratus, stored groundnut
