BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR OF LESSER GRAIN BORER, Rhizopertha dominica (FABRICIOUS) (COLEOPTERA: BOSTRICHIDAE) ON STORED WHEAT IN LABORATORY CONDITIONS

CHINTALA SRILAKSHMI¹*, V.R. VIRANI^2
1Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, 500030, Telangana, India
²Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001, Gujarat, India
* Corresponding Author : Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural

Received : 24-02-2018     Accepted : 01-03-2018     Published : 15-03-2018
Volume : 10     Issue : 5       Pages : 5231 - 5234
Int J Agr Sci 10.5 (2018):5231-5234

Keywords : Biology, Duration, Measurement of instars, Life cycle, Stored wheat
Academic Editor : R. Nagar, Dr Showket A Dar
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : The authors are thankful to the Dean, College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001; and Wheat Research Station, Junagadh, Gujarat for constant encouragement and for providing necessary facilities to carry out the research work
Author Contribution : All author equally contributed

The study on biology and behavior of R. dominica was made on the wheat variety GW-496 under laboratory conditions in at an average temperature of 30 ± 10 C. and 70 ± 5 % relative humidity. Eggs were laid loosely on the surface of the grain and are oblong with rounded ends. An average length and breadth of freshly laid eggs is 0.56 ± 0.06 mm and 0.23 ± 0.04 mm with an average incubation period of 4.05 ± 1.89 days. The grub was white in colour and as it matures, it becomes C-shaped and immobile. The mean duration of grub period was 16.24 ± 4.24 days and pupal period was 3.75 ± 2.82 days. The total developmental period was varied from 38 to 67 days in male and 78 to 107 days in female with an average of 52.20 ± 5.66 days in male, whereas it was 95.85 ± 9.19 days for the female. Adults were dark reddish brown and the body has a slender cylindrical form. Males occurred slightly higher in number than females and male to female sex ratio was 1.09: 1.0. The average life span of female and male was 32.75 ± 2.82, 25.85 ± 2.12 days respectively. The average pre-oviposition, oviposition, post-oviposition periods were 1.75 ± 0.72, 22.05 ± 2.12 and 7.95 ± 1.41 days, respectively. The average of 159.1 ± 16.81 eggs was laid by a single female.

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