B. KEERTHANA*, M.S.V. CHALAM, P. RADHIKA, P. LAVANYA KUMARI AND K. MANJULA Department of Entomology, S.V. Agricultural College, ANGRAU, Tirupati-517 502.

ABSTRACT

A study was carried out at the Department of Entomology, S.V. Agricultural College, Tirupati on the larval taxonomy of  lepidopteran pest complex in castor. Four lepidopteran larvae viz., Spodoptera litura (Fabricius), Achaea janata (Linnaeus),  Ergolis merione (Cram) and Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenee) collected from castor crop and were identifi ed based on the  morphological characters and chaetotaxy of thoracic and abdominal segments, especially third abdominal segment and the  arrangement of crochets on the ventral prolegs. The measurements viz., total length and width of the larva, length and width of  head capsule, width across the compound eyes, length and width of thorax as well as abdomen were recorded for confi rmation  of species. 

KEYWORDS: Spodoptera litura, Achaea janata, Ergolis merione, Conogethes punctiferalis, morphological characters.