Ovipositional Preference and Development of the Cowpea Beetle Callosobruchus chinensis on Different Stored Pulses

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.