Pyriproxyfen Influenced Reproductive Behaviour of Rice-Moth, Corcyra cephalonica Staint. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Abstract

The rice-moth, Corcyra cephalonica Staint. is one of the serious pests of stored cereals and cereal commodities. Application of juvenile hormone analogue, pyriproxyfen, as a safe and suitable alternative to the conventional organic insecticides, affected the growth, development and metamorphosis of this pest that exerted severe effect on their gonadial physiology and hence, their fecundity and fertility was directly influenced in a dosedependent manner. It was observed that eggs laid by treated females crossed by treated males at 15 ppm concentration of pyriproxyfen show maximum reduction in fecundity i.e. 102.44 ± 6.81 per female and fertility i.e. 31.22 ± 0.32% in case of 1 st instar exposed larvae. Fecundity and fertility was comparatively higher in adults emerged from 2 nd , 3 rd , and 4 th instar larvae, due to their shorter exposure duration. Such finding may be highly useful in the management of C. cephalonica in particular and lepidopterous pests in general.