Fecundity and preferential oviposition by pulse beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus F on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) var Dollar

In a laboratory experiment female Callosobruchus maculatus distributed eggs on healthy chickpea seeds in a manner that maximizes the amount of resources allocated to each offspring under favourable condition. The female preferred seeds having more quantity of resources to meet the nutrition of her offspring, seeds having healthy seed coat over damaged ones, fresh seeds over infested seeds for laying higher number of eggs under normal day light condition over the total dark. This was more so in presence of multiple copulating males over single one. Host deprivation did not have any influence on fecundity.