Effect of four host plants on nutritional performance of cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Effects of four vegetable host plants, artichoke, cabbage, potato and tomato on nutritional indices of the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) (Lep.: Noctuidae), were studied under laboratory conditions (25 ± 1 °C, 65 ± 5% RH, with a 16: 8 L: D photoperiod). Fourth instar reared on tomato showed the highest approximate digestibility (AD) (90.406 ± 1.125%) and efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) (30.249 ± 4.128%). The highest values of efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD) and ECI of fifth instars (38.663 ± 4.34 and 20.083 ± 1.581%, respectively) were on artichoke and the lowest of both values on cabbage (ECD: 6.314 ± 1.128 and ECI: 5.448 ± 1.052%).The 3rd to 6th instars as a whole showed the highest ECD and ECI values on tomato (23.412 ± 2.252 and 19.845 ± 1.798%, respectively). However, the highest and lowest values of consumption index (CI) were on cabbage (33.943 ± 2.669) and tomato (6.145 ± 0.578). The highest values of relative consumption rate (RCR) and (AD) were obtained on cabbage (1.49 ± 0.109 mg/mg/day and 86.431 ± 1.141%, respectively). The results of nutritional indices and the cluster analysis indicate that tomato was nutritionally the most suitable food for S. littoralis.

Effect of four host plants on nutritional performance of cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Keywords:

Host plants , Lepidoptera , Noctuidae , Nutritional indices , Spodoptera littoralis