COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY OF TRILOCHA VARIANS (WALKER, 1855) (LEPIDOPTERA: BOMBYCIDAE), A NEW PEST OF FICUS PLANT IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the comparative biology of Trilocha varians on different host plants such as Ficus benjamina, Ficus religiosa, Ficus carica and Ficus elastica under laboratory conditions at 26.50C temperature and 60.5% relative humidity. Results showed that growth and development of T. varians completed successfully on F. benjamina. It was
observed that only F. benjamina was the preferable host for T. varians. After one day of hatching from eggs, larvae were died on the F. carica and F. elastica while some larvae were fully developed on F. religiosa. The study concluded that F. benjamina was the major host plant followed by F. religiosa.