Department of Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore-560 065, Karnataka, (India).
1Part of the approved Ph.D. thesis submitted to UAS, Banglore.
Othreis homaena Hübner is one of the important fruit piercing moths in the oriental region. The larvae of O. homaena were observed only in October–November on Cocculus hirsutus Diels, Diploelisia glaucescens Diels and on Cissampelos pareira Linn. Larvae were not found during other months. Larvae of O. homaena failed to feed and develop on Cyelia peltata Diels, Tinospora cordifolia Miers, Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr., Stephania japonica Miers and S. wightii Dunn. Only one larva (out of twenty five) could be reared up to pupal stage on leaves of Erythrina indica Lam., and the full grown larva was gigantic and had 3.2 times more weight (3.19 g) than the normal larva reared on C. hirsutus (1.44 g). However, the pupal weight was only 1.5 times higher (1.64 g) than that reared on C. hirsutus (1.06 g). Neonate larvae of O. homaena were reared on tender leaves of C. hirsutus, Anamirta cocculus W. & A., C. pareira, Tiliacora acuminata Miers, and D. glaucescens at 30±1°C. The duration of first, second, third, fourth, and fifth instar male larva was 2.00±0, 2.00±0, 2.08±0, 2.96±0.43, and 4.83±0.55 days and that of female larva was 2.08±0.19, 2.0±0.29, 2.17±0.24, 2.92±0.53 and 5.25±0.63 days, respectively, on C. hirsutus. The total larval duration of male and female larva was 13.96±0.99 and 14.42±1.02 days, respectively on C. hirsutus. The male and female pupal duration was 10.08±1.22 and 10.0±0.58 days, respectively. The total developmental period of male and female was 29.04±1.22 and 29.92±1.43 days, respectively on C. hirsutus. The total development period was 32 days on C. pareira and 27 days on T. acuminata. There were five instars on C. hirsutus, A. cocculus and T. acuminata and six instars on C. pareira and D. glaucescens. There was no significant difference for most of the life parameters between male and female larvae. The weight of last instar was 2.266 g on T. acuminata and 1.754 g on C. hirsutus. Head capsule width was maximum for all instars on T. acuminata and lowest on C. pareira. The larvae grew faster and healthier on T. acuminata and slower and weaker on C. pareira. First instar of O. homaena was light green, the second, third, and fourth instar was black and fifth to sixth instar was chocolate brown in post-monsoon population. Freshly emerged moths of O. homaena preferred to feed on guava (32.33±20.88 feeding holes) followed by tomato (13±3.56 feeding holes). The descending order of feeding preference was guava>tomato>banana>pomegranate>orange>mosambi>brinjal. Under captivity, female moths of O. homaena laid eggs on the leaves of A. cocculus though in nature their larvae were commonly observed on C. hirsutus and D. glaucescens.
