Behaviour of newly hatched larvae of Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) associated with their establishment in the host-plant, sorghum

Abstract

AbstractThe climbing behaviour of newly hatched larvae of Chilo partellus (Swinh.) on sorghum plants was studied in the laboratory and in the field in India. The upward movement is directed by light, while the final downwards movement into the whorl is probably a response to the contrast of light above and dark below. Many larvae fail to reach the whorl, and success is reduced by high winds and rain, and by some physical features of the plants. Two sorghum cultivars, IS 1151 and IS 2205, differed in the extent to which larvae successfully reached their whorls, and their relative susceptibilities altered with age.