Ovipositional Preference of lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica Fabr. (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) in certain wheat, Triticum vulgere (Linn.) varieties

Abstract

Rhyzopertha dominica Fabr. (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) is a highly polyphagousserious insect-pest of stored cereals particularly wheat under tropical conditions and causes extensive damage both in terms of quantity and quality to stored wheat grains.. Study on ovipositional preference in wheat varieties was conducted at Department of Zoology, D.B.S.College, Kanpur, India during 2004 to 2005 Six wheat, Triticum aestvum Linn varieties viz., TL 174, K 65, HI 774, UPT 72294, Kalyan Sona and HD1982 were tested under laboratory condition in protected and unprotected condition. In the present investigations six varieties of wheat, Triticum aestvum (Linn.) were tested under laboratory trials for their relative food preference to Rhizopertha Dominica Fabr. The data revealed significant differences among various wheat varieties for oviposition of R. dominica. Fecundity was highest (121.33 eggs) on TL 174 and lowest on K 65 (30.33 eggs) and HI 774 (27.33 eggs) respectively. The second in order to preference for oviposition having 73.33 eggs was HI 774 followed by UPT 72294 and HD1982 in which 67.33 and 54.00 eggs have been laid respectively. K 65 and HI 774 having 30.33 and 27.33 eggs are comparatively less preferred for egg laying. Among the food preference the most preferred variety for the larvae was UPT 72294, and least preferred varieties was HI 7747.