The bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a polyphagous pest of worldwide occurrence inflicting annual crop damage in India worth US$ 1 billion. In India this insect occurs as a major pest in many economically important crops, including cotton, pigeonpea, chickpea, tomato, okra, and blackgram. Understanding the genetic variation among the H. armigera populations occu...

Etoxazole, 2-(2,6-difluorophenyl-4-[4-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-2-ethoxy-phenyl]-4,5-dihydrooxazole, an organofluorine chitin synthesis inhibitor, was assayed for its bioactivities against several major insect and acarus pests and compared to several other pesticides: two chitin synthesis inhibitors, hexaflumuron and chlorfluazuron; a pyrethroid, permethrin; an organophosphate, acephate; a carboximid...

Prepupae of Hypera eximia (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a natural host, and prepupae of factitious insect hosts were tested for their physiological responses to stinging by the gregarious ectoparasite, Necremnus breviramulus Gahan (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), and to injection with an extract of the venom gland tissue dissected from the lower reproductive tract of the female parasite. The...

Midgut hydrolytic enzymes of Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were identified and partially characterized. Km, Vmax, optimum pH, and specific activity were determined for proteolytic enzymes and αamylases. All hydrolytic enzyme activity had an optimum pH value in the alkaline pH range. We observed major serine protease activity, together with minor cysteine-like activity, th...

The small Noctuidae genus Bombyciella Draudt, 1950, is revised, based on type-material of its only two known species, Bombyciella talpa Draudt, 1950 and Bombyciella sericea Draudt, 1950. Bombyciella antra sp. n. from southwest China is described as a new species close to B. talpa, the type-species of Bombyciella. B. sericea is found to be different in most characters, not congeneric with B. tal...

20-Hydroxyecdyone (20E), an active form of ecdysteroid, is the key hormone in insect growth and development. To date five P450 enzymes involved in the last four steps of ecdysteroid biosynthesis from ketodiol to 20E namely Spook (Spo), Phantom (Phm), Disembodied (Dib), Shadow (Sad) and Shade (Shd) related to ecdysteroid biosynthesis, are identified and the character of last four enzymes is well...

We characterized the dynamics of mortality factors affecting immature developmental stages of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Multiple decrement life tables for egg and early larval stages of S. frugiperda in maize (Zea mays L.) fields were developed with and without augmentative releases of Telenomus remus Nixon (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) from...