STUDIES ON THE CONSUMPTION AND UTILIZATION OF FOOD BY THE LARVAE OF DASYCHIRA MENDOSA HUB. (LEPIDOPTERA : LYMANTRIIDAE)
N. IBOHAL SINGFI
DEPARTMENT OF LIFE SCIENCES, MANIPUR UNIVERSITY, IMPHAL-795003, INDIA.
B. PRASAD
DEPARTMENT OF LIFE SCIENCES, MANIPUR UNIVERSITY, IMPHAL-795003, INDIA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The rearing of D. mendosa Hub. larvae was conducted under prevailing environmental conditions of temperature (25°C to 28°C 3°C) and relative humidity (76-85% - 3%) on its favourable host plant, Quercus serrata Thun. whose leaves constitute the main food of the temperate oak tasar silkworm, Antheraea proylei J. Higher consumption index (CI) and growth rate (GR) were observed during second and fifth as well as first and fourth instar larvae, respectively. The approximate digestibility (AD), gross efficiency (ECD) and net efficiency (ECI) were found to be highest during the third instar while it was least at the final instar of the insect. This may be attributed to the active growth rate specially during third instar and conversion of the body substance into the spinning materials in the fifth instar.