Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-21T04:27:35.449Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Studies on the bionomics of the jute stem girdler, Nupserha bicolor postbrunnea Dutt * (COL., LAMIIDAE).

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

N. Dutt
Affiliation:
Jute Agricultural Research Institute, Barrackpore, West Bengal.

Extract

Nupserha bicolor postbrunnea Dutt has become established on olitorius jute (Corchorus olitorius), possibly from its wild food-plant, Sesbania aegyptiaca, and from jute it has spread to other agricultural crops. Incidence on the green-manure crop, Sesbania bispinosa, has increased so much in recent years that it has surpassed that on olitorius jute. The stem diameter most favourable for girdling and oviposition in S. bispinosa ranges from 3·1 to 5 mm., whilst in C. olitorius it is from 2·6 to 3 mm. In spite of this wide difference in preferred stem diameter, the ratio of mandibular length to depth of extra-medullary tissue of such stems in the two plants agrees well.

All the varieties of capsularis jute (C.capsularis) are unacceptable to the adults though they are acceptable to the larvae. Adults obtained from larvae reared on varieties of capsularis jute also show aversion to capsularis types. The pest selects the susceptible olitorius from amongst capsularis jute when these are grown as a mixed crop. Amongst the olitorius varieties, C.G. is the most susceptible. Plants coming within the height range of 100 to 200 cm. are attacked more than others. Girdling causes suspension of unidirectional vertical growth, and this is followed by the appearance of a number of side branches, which are of little value from the point of view of fibre.

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1961

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beeson, C. F. C. & Bhatia, B. M. (1939). On the biology of the Cerambycidae (Coleopt.).—Indian For. Rec., N.S. (Ent.) 5 pp. 1235.Google Scholar
Breuning, S. (1949). Entomological results from the Swedish Expedition 1934 to Burma and British India. Coleoptera: Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, recueillis par René Malaise.—Ark. Zool. 42A no. 15, 21 pp.Google Scholar
Breuning, S. (1950a). Descriptions de nouveaux Lamiaires de l'Inde (Colé-optères).—Indian For. Rec., N.S. (Ent.) 7 pp. 255265.Google Scholar
Breuning, S. (1950b). Nouvelles formes de Lamiaires (troisième partie).—Bull. Inst. Sci. nat. Belg. 26 no. 12, 32 pp.Google Scholar
Craighead, F. C. (1921). Hopkins' host-selection principle as related to certain Cerambycid beetles.—J. agric. Res. 22 pp. 189220.Google Scholar
Craighead, F. C. (1923). The host selection principle as advanced by Walsh.—Canad. Ent 55 pp. 7679.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duffy, E. A. J. (1953). A monograph of the immature stages of British and imported timber beetles (Cerambycidae).—350 pp. London, Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.).Google Scholar
Dutt, H. L. (1915). The soy bean stem-borer.—Agric. J. Bihar-Oris. 3 pp. 5256.Google Scholar
Dutt, N. (1952). Nupserha bicolor Thoms. ssp. postbrunnea Breun.: a new pest on jute (Corchorus olitorius Linn.).—Nature, Lond. 170 pp. 287288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dutt, N. (1954). Diapause in Nupserha bicolor Thoms. ssp. postbrunnea Breun. and its bearing on infestation and control.—Jute Bull. 17 pp. 286287.Google Scholar
Dutt, N. (1956 a). Mandibular length in Nupserha bicolor Thoms. ssp. postbrunnea Breun. (Col., Lamiidae) as the factor in determining the site of oviposition in Corchorus olitorius.—Bull. ent. Res. 47 pp. 777783.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dutt, N. (1956 b). Studies on Nupserha bicolor Thoms. ssp. postbrunnea Breun. (Col., Lamiidae). IV. Preliminary observations on immature stages and elimination of larval diapause.—Jute Bull. 18 pp. 254256.Google Scholar
Essig, E. O. (1942). College entomology.—900 pp. New York, Macmillan.Google Scholar
Fletcher, T. B. (1918). Report of the Imperial Entomologist.—Sci. Rep. agric. Res. Inst. Pusa 1917–18 pp. 84116.Google Scholar