Seasonal Abundance of Castor Semilooper (Achaea janata L.) Infesting Castor Crop

The present study was conducted at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Regional Research Station, Bawal, Haryana (India) during the Kharif season of 2013–14. The larvae of castor semilooper remain active from 30^th to 47^th standard meteorological weeks. The maximum larval population was recorded on the 32^th (6.1 larvae per plant) and 38^th SMW (6.2 larvae per plant). The rainfall during this period ranged from 120 to 158 mm. The correlation between various abiotic factors indicates that minimum temperature, evening relative humidity and rainfall exhibited a positive relationship with the larval population. The incidence caused by A. janata was first noticed during the 30^th SMW which ranged from 4.4 to 42.2 per cent during the 30^th and 38^th SMW and subsequently larval population started decline from the 39^th SMW onwards the per cent incidence was also decreased.