Incidence of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its feeding potential on various citrus (Sapindales: Rutaceae) cultivars in the Sargodha Region of Pakistan

Authors

  • Muhammad Irfan Ullah Department of Entomology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Arshad Department of Entomology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Afzal Department of Entomology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
  • Samina Khalid Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Vehari, Pakistan
  • Muqadas Saleem Department of Entomology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
  • Irfan Mustafa Department of Zoology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
  • Yasir Iftikhar Department of Plant Pathology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
  • Jaime Molina-Ochoa Universidad de Colima, Coordinación General de Investigación Científica, Centro Universitario de Investigación y Desarrollo Agropecuario, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Crucero de Tecomán, autopista Colima-Manzanillo, Km. 40, Tecomán, Colima 28930, México Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583, USA
  • John E. Foster Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583, USA

Keywords:

feeding, damage potential, relative growth rate, efficiency of conversion of ingested food, nutritional ecology

Abstract

Spodoptera litura F. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) adversely affects important crops such as cotton, okra, tomato, potato, and pumpkin. For the first time, this species was observed in a citrus nursery in the Sargodha Region of Pakistan. The principal objectives of this study were to determine the effects of several citrus (Sapindales: Rutaceae) cultivars, including Citrus reticulata Blanco (Feutrell’s Early, Seedless Kinnow, and Fairchild mandarin orange) and Citrus paradisi Macfad. (grapefruit), on feeding by S. litura, and the effects of these plants on the growth of the insect. Based on performance of 3rd instars, Feutrell’s Early and Seedless Kinnow supported maximum relative growth rates, high efficiencies of conversion of ingested food, and high levels of leaf consumption and larval weight gain, relative to the other citrus cultivars. Values of these parameters were lowest on grapefruit. Thus, the mandarin oranges Feutrell’s Early and Seedless Kinnow were more susceptible to damage than grapefruit.

 

Resumen

Spodoptera litura F. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) es una plaga muy importante que ataca adversamente a muchos cultivos importantes tales como algodón, okra, jitomate, papa, y calabaza. Se reporta por primera vez a S. litura atacando en un vivero de cítricos (Sapindales: Rutaceae) en la región de Sargodha, Pakistán. Los objetvos principales de este estudio fueron determinar los efectos del potencial alimenticio de S. litura sobre diferentes variedades de cítricos incluyendo a Citrus reticulata Blanco (Feutrell’s Early, Seedless Kinnow, Fairchild) and Citrus paradisi Macfad. (toronja). El potencial alimenticio de larvas de tercer estadio sugieren que Feutrell’s Early y Seedless Kinnow soportan mayor tasa de crecimiento relativo (TCR) así como los valores más altos de eficiencia de conversión de alimento ingerido (ECI), y consumo de área foliar entre las variedades de cítricos. Los valores más bajos de estos parámetros fueron observados en la variedad de toronja. Los resultados indicaron que Feutrell’s Early y Seedless Kinnow fueron las variedades más nutritivas y susceptibles entre las variedades cítricos ya que mostraron los valores más grandes de TCR, ECI, ganancia de peso larvario, consume de área foliar y pérdida de peso de follaje; por el contrario, en la variedad de toronja se corroboró como la menos nutritiva para S. litura, ya que produjo los valores más bajos de TCR and peso de excretas (PE).

 

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Author Biography

Jaime Molina-Ochoa, Universidad de Colima, Coordinación General de Investigación Científica, Centro Universitario de Investigación y Desarrollo Agropecuario, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Crucero de Tecomán, autopista Colima-Manzanillo, Km. 40, Tecomán, Colima 28930, México Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583, USA

Profesor-Investigador Titular C

Investigador Nacional NIvel II

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Published

2016-03-29

Issue

Vol. 99, No. 2 (June 2016)

Section

Research Papers

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