Abstract:
Demographic parameters of the pink stem borer,
Sesamia cretica
Lederer
(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were estimated
on its two main host plants, maize and
sugarcane. The present study
was conducted under laboratory conditions at 27±1 ̊C,
50±10% Relative Humidity (RH %), and a photoperiod of 0:24 (L:D) hour for the larval
stage and 16:8 (L:D) hour for the other life stages. The raw data were analyzed based on
the age
-
stage, two
-
sex life table theory. For estimating the
SE
of the population
parameters, the bootstrap technique was applied. Total pre
-
adult developmental periods
of the pink stem borer were
51.95 and 39.51 days on maize and sugarcane, respectively.
The oviposition periods were 5.03 and 5.38 days and fecundity
was 118.04 and 142.8
8 eggs
on maize and sugarcane, respectively. Peaks of reproductive value occurred at ages 49
and 38
days when reared on maize and sugarcane, respectively.
The net Reproductive rate
R
0
, intrinsic rates of increase
r
and finite rate of increase
λ
of
S. creti
ca
were 53.58
offspring, 0.0937 day
-
1
and 1.0983 day
-
1
on sugarcane and
39.54 offspring, 0.0672 day
-
1
and 1.0695 day
-
1
on maize, respectively. The
mean generation Time (T) of the pink stem
borer was 42.41 and 54.57 days on sugarcane and maize, respectively. There was
significant difference between demographic parameters of
S. cretica
on maize and
sugarcane. The results showed that there was higher re
productive performance and
population growth of
S. cretica
on sugarcane than on maize.
Keywords:
Life table parameter, Population,
Sesamia cretica.
