Effects of feeding on young, mature, and senescent sunflower leaves were studied under laboratory conditions ( °C, 12L？:？12D, % RH) to evaluate the impact of variation of nutrients on larval food utilization efficiency, larval and pupal development and survival, longevity, and fecundity of Diacrisia casignetum Kollar. The growth rate, which is the ratio between the dry weight gain of insect and duration of experimental period, of D. casignetum was in the order of mature leaf > young leaf > senescent leaf of sunflower. This was correlated with nutrient constituents of three kinds of sunflower leaves, which was measured by various biochemical analyses described elsewhere in the text. Total carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nitrogen, amino acids, and water content are in greater amount in mature leaves when compared to young and senescent leaves, whereas phenol content was highest in young leaves than mature leaves. Hence, higher amount of total carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nitrogen, amino acids including water and lower amount of total phenol content in mature leaves have influenced higher growth rate, less developmental time, and higher fecundity of D. casignetum. 1. Introduction Diacrisia casignetum Kollar (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) is an important economic pest in India and many other Asian countries [1]. The species is highly polyphagous, which is one of the major factors contributing to the pest status of this moth. Important agricultural crops such as sunflower, jute, sesame, and castor are among the host records in India. The occurrence of this arctiid moth has long been recorded in sunflower plant, and now it has been proved a serious defoliator in recent years [1]. The larvae of this arctiid moth feeds gregariously on sunflower leaves leaving mid ribs only and causes economic losses of this oil seed crop based on the crop stage and infestation level in the field [1]. Host plant quality is a key determinant of herbivorous insect which affects fecundity, growth rate, and development of insect [2]. Variation in development, survival, and fecundity of phytophagous insects is mainly due to variation in qualitative and quantitative amounts of nutrients among host plants including change in the nutritional quality of leaves within a particular host plant during its different developmental stages [3]. Herbivores of polyphagous nature often show better development, survival, and reproduction on mature leaves than young leaves within a plant because of higher level of toxic secondary substances in young leaves [4, 5]. Hence, it will be interesting to
References
[1]
T. C. Banerjee and N. Haque, “Defoliation and yield loss in sunflower caused by catterpillers, Diacrisia casignetum Kollar (Lepidoptera : Arctiidae),” Indian Journal of Agricutural Science, vol. 54, pp. 137–141, 1984.
[2]
C. S. Awmack and S. R. Leather, “Host plant quality and fecundity in herbivorous insects,” Annual Review of Entomology, vol. 47, pp. 817–844, 2002.
[3]
D. Jeyabalan and K. Murugan, “Impact of variation in foliar constituents of Mangifera indica Linn. on consumption and digestion efficiency of Latoia lepida cramer,” Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 472–474, 1996.
[4]
R. G. Cates, “Feeding patterns of monophagous, oligophagous, and polyphagous insect herbivores: the effect of resource abundance and plant chemistry,” Oecologia, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 22–31, 1980.
[5]
L. M. Schoonhoven, J. J. A. Van Loon, and M. Dicke, Insect-Plant Biology, University Press, Oxford, UK, 2005.
[6]
T. C. Banerjee and N. Haque, “Influence of host plants on development, fecundity and egg hatchability of the arctiid moth Diacrisia casignetum,” Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 193–198, 1985.
[7]
G. P. Waldbauer, “The consumption and utilization of food by insects,” Advances in Insect Physiology, vol. 5, pp. 229–288, 1968.
[8]
K. Thangavelu and J. C. D. Phulon, “Food preference of Eri Silkworm Philosamia ricini,” Entomon, vol. 8, pp. 311–316, 1983.
[9]
M. Sétamou, F. Schulthess, N. A. Bosque-Pérez, H.-M. Poehling, and C. Borgemeister, “Bionomics of Mussidia nigrivenella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on three host plants,” Bulletin of Entomological Research, vol. 89, no. 5, pp. 465–471, 1999.
[10]
N. Ramakrishna, B. Sannappa, and R. Govindan, “Influence of castor varieties on rearing and grainage performance of different breeds of eri silkworm, Samia cynthia ricini,” Journal of Ecology, vol. 15, pp. 279–285, 2003.
[11]
M. Xue, Y. H. Pang, H.-T. Wang, Q.-L. Li, and T.-X. Liu, “Effects of four host plants on biology and food utilization of the cutworm, Spodoptera litura,” Journal of Insect Science, vol. 10, articel 22, 2010.
[12]
M. Dubois, K. A. Gilles, J. K. Hamilton, P. A. Rebers, and F. Smith, “Colorimetric method for determination of sugars and related substances,” Analytical Chemistry, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 350–356, 1956.
[13]
O. H. Lowry, N. J. Rosebrough, A. L. Farr, and R. J. Randall, “Protein measurement with the folin phenol reagent,” Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 193, no. 1, pp. 265–275, 1951.
[14]
J. Folch, M. Lees, and G. H. Sloane Stanley, “A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipids from animal tissues,” Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 226, no. 1, pp. 497–509, 1957.
[15]
R. A. Moore and W. H. Stein, “Photometric ninhydrin method for use in the chromatography of amino acids,” Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 176, pp. 367–388, 1948.
[16]
E. C. Humphries, “Nitrates,” in Modern Methods of Plant Analysis, K. Peach and M. V. Tracey, Eds., pp. 481–483, Springer, Berlin, Germany, 1956.
[17]
H. G. Bray and W. V. Thorpe, “Analysis of phenolic compounds of interest in metabolism,” Methods of Biochemical Analysis, vol. 1, pp. 27–52, 1954.
[18]
J. H. Zar, Biostatistical Analysis, Pearson Education, New Delhi, India, 4th edition, 1999.
[19]
S. V. Applebaum, “Biochemistry of digestion,” in Comprehensive Insect Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, G. A. Kerkut and L. T. Gilbert, Eds., pp. 279–312, Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK, 1985.
[20]
F. Slansky and J. M. Scriber, “Food consumption and utilization,” in Comprehensive Insect Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, G. A. Kerdut and L. I. Gilbert, Eds., pp. 87–113, Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK, 1985.
[21]
W. J. Mattson, “Herbivores in relation to nitrogen content,” Annual Review of Ecological Systems, vol. 11, pp. 119–161, 1980.
[22]
K. Shobana, K. Murugan, and A. Naresh Kumar, “Influence of host plants on feeding, growth and reproduction of Papilio polytes (The common mormon),” Journal of Insect Physiology, vol. 56, no. 9, pp. 1065–1070, 2010.
[23]
J. M. Scriber and and F. Slansky, “The nutritional ecology of immature insects,” Annual Review of Entomology, vol. 26, pp. 183–211, 1981.
[24]
R. H. Dadd, “Nutrition: organisms,” in Comprehensive Insect Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, G. A. Kerkut and L. I. Gilbert, Eds., pp. 313–390, Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK, 1985.
[25]
J. B. Harborne, Introduction to Ecological Biochemistry, Academic Press, New York, NY, USA, 4th edition, 1994.
[26]
S. Turunen, “Plant leaf lipids as fatty acid sources in two species of Lepidoptera,” Journal of Insect Physiology, vol. 36, no. 9, pp. 665–672, 1990.
[27]
H. Genc and J. L. Nation, “Influence of dietary lipids on survival of Phyciodes phaon Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae),” Journal of Entomological Science, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 537–544, 2004.
[28]
J. M. Scriber, “Limiting effects of low leaf-water content on the nitrogen utilization, energy budget, and larval growth of Hyalophora cecropia (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae),” Oecologia, vol. 28, no. 3, pp. 269–287, 1977.
[29]
J. H. Zhu, F. P. Zhang, and H. G. Ren, “Development and nutrition of Prodenia litura on four food plants,” Chinese Bulletin of Entomology, vol. 42, pp. 643–646, 2005.
[30]
M. F. J. Taylor and D. P. A. Sands, “Effects of ageing and nutrition on the reproductive system of Samea multiplicalis Guenée (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae),” Bulletin of Entomological Research, vol. 76, pp. 513–517, 2009.
