Comparison of Developmental Rates and Reproductive Traits of the Common Cutworm, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) Feeding on Some Host Plants

Under some dietary conditions, we reared the common cut worm, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius), for research its developmental rate and reproductive trat. Brassica campestris L. var. communis L. (Qing-geng-cai), Brassica oleracea L. var capitata L. (Cabbage), Capsicum annum L. var. angulosum Mill. (sweet pepper), Ipmoea batatas L. (sweet potato), Allium fistulosum L. (welsh onion) and a commercial insect artificial diet (Insecta LFS) were chosen as rearing diet. Under rearing with qing-geng-cai at 25℃, larval developmental period was the shortest; male: 14.6 days and female: 15.3 days.While under rearing with sweet potato, Welsh onion and cabbage, larval period was long; male: 19.8-21.4 days and female: 20.3-21.6 days. Pupal periods werenot different under some dietary condition. Measured pupal weight was smaller in sweet pepper, male 311 mg and female 335 mg, and was heavier for the artificial diet; male 393 mg and female: 412 mg. Reproductive traits, however, were not different under some dietary conditions. The numbers of deposited eggs per female ranged from 2270 for sweet potato to 3590 for sweet pepper, without statistically significant differences among dietary conditions. Oviposition peak occurs in the 2nd or 3rd night in all larval dietary condition. We conclude that dietary condition caused larval period differences of about 5-6 days, under 25℃ condition