Study the biology of spotted pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Gayer) on green gram in South West Haryana

The results revealed that the incubation period of egg was 2.5 ± 0.60 days. Each larva molted four times and possessed five instars. The fully grown caterpillar was translucent and six rows of black spots running from thorax to abdomen. The larval instars which took 12.8 ± 0.73 days to enter into the pupal stage. The pupation took place inside the flowers or pods or webbed leaflets and the pupal period was lasted for 8.5 ± 0.69 days. The adult longevity of female and male moth was 8.75 ± 0.78 and 4.7 ± 0.95 days, respectively. However, pre-oviposition, oviposition and post-oviposition period was 2.5 ± 0.59, 3.2 ± 0.52 and 2.25 ± 0.45 days, respectively. A female moth laid on an average 47 ± 5.48 eggs singly or in batches on the flower buds and tender pods. The total life cycle of adult moths was about 34.35 ± 1.62 days. The morphometric studies found that the mean length and breadth of first to fifth instar larvae was 1.24 - 16.92 mm and 0.18 - 2.41 mm, respectively. The mean pre-pupal and pupal length was about 12.95 and 11.91 mm, the breadth was about 2.63 and 2.97 mm. The mean length and breadth of moth was about 12.97 and 10.84 mm, respectively.