Abstract:
A comparative study of the ovipositional preference and developmental response of the cowpea beetle, C. chinensis was made in the laboratory
using six, commonly available pulses. The beetle preferred smooth coated
seeds for oviposition and rejected seeds with a rough coat. The most
preferred seeds for oviposition were mung and soybean whereas chickpea
was least preferred. The study revealed that the ovipositional preference was
not an indication of suitability for the larval development. Development was
comparatively faster in mung and the black and white varieties of cowpea
followed by chickpea. A hundred percent larval mortality was found in
soybean. On the basis of ovipositional preference, growth index and
fecundity, mung bean and the white and the black varieties of cowpea proved
to be most suitable for the development of the cowpea beetle. Based on the
performance of the beetles, green pea was found to be most resistant to attack
by the cowpea beetle.
