Host Preference Studies of Giant African Snail, Achatina fulica under Laboratory Condition
Priyanka S M *
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, Maharashtra, India.
Purushottam Sheshrao Neharkar
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, Maharashtra, India.
Anant Ganeshrao Lad
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, Maharashtra, India.
Miriyala Leela Prasanna
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, Maharashtra, India.
Sangayya Math
Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, Maharashtra, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The current study was conducted during Kharif 2024 at laboratory of Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University, Parbhani, Maharashtra. The experiment was structured following a Completely Randomized Block Design with eight treatments, each replicated three times. The objective of the study was to investigate the preferred host of giant African snail. The host preferred by giant African snails were assessed in both no choice and choice condition. Observations were mainly made on the food consumed and number of snails found on the host plants. Among all the eight tested host plants, T5 - Spinach leaves (73.48%), T2 - Mulberry leaves (61.79%), T4 - Papaya leaves (40.32%) and T3 - Soybean leaves (35.77%) were highly preferred. Host plants T1 – Cabbage leaves (28.64%), T6 – Okra fruit (21.22%) and T7 – Potato tuber (18.72%) were moderately preferred and least preferred host was T8 – Custard apple leaves (8.76%). The highly preferred host plant of giant African snail in both no choice and choice test are Spinach leaves and least preferred host plant was Custard apple leaves.
Keywords: Giant African snail, host plants, no choice test, choice test, spinach leaves, custard apple leaves