S. Sambath , K. C. Joshi , R. Krishnamurthy

Abstract

Temperature and humidity are the two main factors that influence the rate of survival, oviposition, growth and development and the fecundity of an insect. Experiments were carried out during 1996-97 to determine the effect of temperature and relative humidity on the egg, larval, pre-pupal and pupal period of Albizia foliage feeder, Spirama retorta Cram. (Lepidoptera:Noctuidae), a devastating pest of forest nurseries and young plantations in Central India. The recorded field temperature during study/survey period was 5 to 45°C and relative humidity 20 to 80% in Central India covering the state of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa. Study of the effect of temperature and humidity revealed that the best suited optimum temperature and relative humidity was between 30-35°C and 60-80% which enhanced the viability of eggs and shortened the egg, larval, pre-pupal and pupal duration. Low temperature (5 - 25°C) and humidity (20 - 60%) lessened the viability of eggs and increased the mortality and the duration of various life stages. The maximum mean viability of eggs (99.00 ± 1.00) was recorded at 30°C and 80% where as the shortest egg period was 3- 4 days observed at 35°C and 40-80% relative humidity. The shortest mean period in days was also observed for larval (11.12 ± 0.3750), prepupal (1.62 ± 0.1250) and pupal (9.67 ± 0.2870) between 30 - 35¤C and 60-80%. These finding were correlated with the field temperature and humidity and found that temperature, humidity and species of food plants (quantitative and qualitative) favored this insect to occur in an epidemic condition, in forest nurseries and young plantations during monsoon season.

Keywords

Spirama retorta, Epidemic, Albizia lebbek, A. Procera

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K. C. Joshi , S. Sambath , Mohd. Yousuf , S. Chander , N. Roychoudhury , N. Kulkarni

Abstract

For evolving an eco-friendy, non-toxic and practically feasible method of minimizing the populataion of the most serious Teak leaf skeletonizer E. machaeralis, four egg parasitoids viz. Trichogramma brsiliensis, T. chilonis, T. pretiosum and T. japonicum were tested in laboratory conditions. T. brasiliensis proved a better potential species to parasitise maximum number of eggs in labortory i.e. 58 to 61 per cent. Further evaluation of T. brasiliensis in field conditions for their least effective dose, proved that the optimum dose of the egg parasitoid T. brasiliensis is 1.25 lakhs wasps/ha to minimize the attack of teak leaf skeletnizer, E. machaeralis.

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N. Roychoudhury , S. Sambath , K. C. Joshi

Abstract

An experiment was laid out in Sal forest at Jagatpur under Karangia Range of Mandla division during the recent epidemic of Sal heartwood borer, Hoplocerambyx spinicornis Newman, in Madhya Pradesh, with a view to find out the girth class preference of the insect in Sal trees and subsequent mortality. Results based on four years observations revealed that total per cent mortality of Sal trees due to borer attack was recorded to be 5.17% in experimental plot. The results reflect the post effect of Sal borer epidemics. The borer attack was noticed from the girth class more than 61-90cm (4.24%),91-120 cm (5.08%) and finally peak in 121-150 cm (6.78%) and then declined in girth class above 151 cm (3.12%). Further, the frequency distribution of girth class of Sal trees and tree mortality due to borer attack exhibited maximum mortality in 102-116 and 117-131cm ranges. These findings clearly advocate the girth class preference by borer beetles in Sal forests.

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N. Roychoudhury , S. Sambath , K. C. Joshi

Abstract

No abstract

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K. C. Joshi , N. Roychoudhury , N. Kulkarni , S. Sambath

Abstract

Shorea robusta, which is one of the most important timber species of India, yields about 2.5lakh m³ of timber and 3lakh m³ of firewood. A heartwood borer, Hoplocerambyx spinicornis, often damages it. Its beetles emerge soon after a few showers of monsoon rains from the third week of June to the end of August. They attract to the odour of freshly cut bast and sapwood of sal. Soon after mating, the beetle oviposit white, cream coloured eggs in cracks on the bark. After 3-7 days of egg period, the hatching takes place. The freshly hatched grubs bore the bark and reach to the sapwood, where they form tunnels. After feeding the sapwood, the grub move to heartwood where they form a wider pupal chamber, the grubs start pupation from December onwards, develop to immature beetles between April to May and emerge out from middle June onwards during monsoon. The male has long antennae than their body while the female has short antennae. The incidence of attacked sal trees due to heartwood borer lasts upto 24.33 per cent during epidemics. Continuous favourable climatic conditions, vicinity of human and herbivore population, physiological properties of sal trees to insect borer, quantitative and qualitative changes in host trees, natural enemies of sal borer and weaken of defensive system of sal trees are recorded as probable factors responsible for sal borer epidemics. Borer killed more than 26lakhs of sal trees during recent sal borer epidemics between 1996-02. Felling of these attacked sal trees in dense sal forests opened the canopy and resulted an average regeneration upto 4.18 saplings per square meter of sal and other miscellaneous species as compared to 1.95 saplings per square meter in unfilled sal areas. In human inhabitant areas however, it is reported to be comparatively low. Besides existing preventive and remedial control measures, the authors have advocated spraying of 0.05% endosulfan 3.5 ml insecticide per litre of water of 0.05 per cent chlorpyriphos (10 ml insecticide/litre) on stored borer attacked sal stacks and then covering them with polythene sheets before monsoon in June to kill the beetles emerging from sal logs. Further research need on sal heartwood borer, its out break and management are also mentioned.

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Mohammad Yousuf , S. Sambath , Subhash Chandra

Abstract

To achieve higher rate of parasitisation by egg parasitoids, Trichogramma spp., study was conducted to ensure 100 % mortality of the developing embryo inside the Corcyra cephalonica eggs and arresting the emergence of larvae by applying suitable chilling period to the host eggs. Three hours chilling of Corcyra cephalonica eggs at -8°C and RH 50 ± 10% in refrigerator was found suitable for checking the embryonic development of Corcyra cephalonica eggs and also for maintaining the viability of eggs for parasitisation by Trichogramma spp. Parasitisation in three hours chilled eggs was recorded as high as 94.2% by T. brasiliensis, 93.4% by T.raoi and 92.6% by T.chilonis without hatching of any un-parasitised host egg.

Keywords

Chilling of Eggs, Trichogramma Spp., Embryo, Corcyra cephalonica Viability, Parasitisation

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Shamila Kalia , K. C. Joshi , S. Sambath

Abstract

No abstract

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K. C. Joshi , N. Roychoudhury , S. Sambath , S. Humane , D. K. Pandey

Abstract

Effectiveness of three varietal toxins of Bacillus thuringiensis viz. var. dendrolimus endotoxin, var. thuringiensis and its exotoxin and var .kurslaki endotoxin. Were evaluated in the laboratory against the last instar larvae of Atteua fabriciella Swed. By spraying on larvae and food plant, Alianthus excelsa Roxb. Results revealed that the spraying of B.t. on host plant was more effective in killing larvae than on the target pest, irrespective of toxines. Among the tested toxins, var. dendrolimus endotoxin proved to be highly effective and appeared to be best, both for larval and leaf treatment @ 2.0 and 1.5% respectively.

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N. Kulkarni , Shamila Kalia , S. Sambath , K. C. Joshi

Abstract

No abstract

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N. Kulkarni , K. C. Joshi , S. Sambath

Abstract

No abstract

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S. Sambath , Kailash Chandra

Abstract

The present work was an attempt to document diversity of moth fauna of Chhattisgarh for assessing the ecological stability of the areas, which are highly susceptible due to various anthropogenic activities and coal mines in particular. A total of 90 species of moths belonging to 79 genera, 15 families, 26 subfamilies under 10 superfamilies were identified and recorded.

Keywords

Lepidoptera, Species Richness, Diversity, Chhattisgarh, Moths

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Sachin R. Patil ¹, S. Sambath ¹, Rita Bhandari ²

Affiliations
1 Zoological Survey of India, Central Zone Regional Centre, Vijaynagar, Jabalpur-482 002
2 Government Autonomous Model Science College, Pachpedi, Jabalpur-482 001.

Abstract

A preliminary study of spider fauna of the RVDWLS was carried out during 2009-2011. The present findings indicated that a total 23 spider species belonging to 12 genera under 7 families were reported for the first time from the sanctuary. Lycosidae was the most diverse family followed by Araneidae, Nephilidae, Oxyopidae, Clubionidae, Ctenidae and Salticidae. The abundance of the Lycosid spiders is mainly attributed to adequacy of leaf- litter in tropical mixed dry deciduous forest. Based on categorization of spiders into habit-wise functional groups, the ground hunters were dominating the foliage orb weavers and foliage hunters. The study has also indicated that there are new records of family, genus and species to the spider fauna of Madhya Pradesh.

Keywords

Spiders Fauna, Ground Hunters, Lycosidae, Habit-Wise Functional Groups, Abundance

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