Infestation and life table parameters of fruit fly on cucurbitaceous crop

Abstract

Comparative infestation assessment and life table parameters of Bactrocera cucurbitae were studied on five cucurbitaceous crop viz. ash gourd, ridge gourd, sweet gourd, bitter gourd and snake gourd. Results indicated that infestation rates and life table parameters were significantly dependent on crop species. The infestation rates varied from 21.0 to 71.5%, and the highest and lowest rates were found on sweet gourd and ridge gourd, respectively. The life table parameters showed that mean pre-mating and mating duration ranged from 2.5 to 4.5 days and 33.5 to 54 minutes, respectively. Pre-oviposition periods on ash gourd, ridge gourd, sweet gourd, bitter gourd and snake gourd were found 11.8, 15.7, 10.8, 12.3 and 14.5 days, respectively whereas oviposition periods on these crops were 7.2, 5.5, 9.5, 7.7 and 6.2 days, respectively. Fecundity and hatching rate appeared maximum on sweet gourd (56.2 female’ and 53.5%) and minimum on ridge gourd (36.7 female and 34.8%). Incubation periods on the studied crops varied from 18.3 to 25.0 hours. The larval duration on ash gourd, ridge gourd, sweet gourd, bitter gourd and snake gourd were found 12.5, 15.2, 11.3, 13.0 and 14.7 days, on the contrary the pupal periods were 8.5, 10.0, 7.3, 7.8 and 9.7 days, respectively. The females lived longer (13.5 to 18.8 days) than male (11.3 to 17.3 days). This study provided significant information of B. cucurbitae on some cucurbitaceous crops that will be helped for its integrated pest management programme.