International Journal of Horticulture, 2017,Vol.7, No.2, 7-19
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Figure 1 Life cycle of
Epilachna vigintioctopunctata
Fab.
Figure 2 Defoliation effect of
Epilachna vigintioctopunctata
Fab. on the three host plants
The developmental duration of the different stages of
E. vigintioctopunctata
on
S. melongena
was shorter than
S.
nigrum
and
M. cochinchinensis
but the adult longevity was always longer on
S. melongena
. Food utilization
efficiency measures of the all four instars and their adults of
E. vigintioctopunctata
are given in tables 2-6. All the
larval instars displayed higher value of food utilization indices (GR, CR, RGR, CI, ER, HCR, AD, ECI, ECD and
HUE) when reared on
S. melongena
leaves followed by
S. Nigrum
and
M. cochinchinensis
leaves and showed
different pattern of significance (Table 2; Table 3; Table 4; Table 5). Whereas, the adults have higher value of food
utilization indices (GR, CR, ER, and ECD on
M. cochinchinensis
, RGR, AD, ECI and HUE on
S. melongena
and
CI and HCR on
S. nigrum
) with different pattern of significance (Table 6).Among the different feeding indices,
