Impact of different hosts and meridic diet on biology, reproductive fitness and demographic parameters of Spodoptera litura (Fabricius).

S. litura is dreaded polyphagous insect pest in Asian tropics. The fundamental and applied research always requires laboratory rearing of insects. This study investigated the effects of natural hosts (castor, cauliflower, cabbage and tomato) and meridic diet on biological, reproductive physiology and demographic parameters of Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The castor and meridic diet gave better results in several parameters than other hosts. The total developmental period was shortest on castor. Though, it was longest on meridic diet, but the pupal weight and eupyrene sperm bundle counts were on par in both the cases. The fecundity was superior (1791.7 ± 65.64 per/female) in castor, followed by meridic diet (1718.3 ± 95.80). The demographic parameters and biotic potential were highest in castor, whereas the gross reproductive rate was highest on meridic diet. The study showed that the meridic diet may be an alternate choice in the absence of natural hosts for mass rearing of S. litura throughout the year. The demographic parameters calculated were linked to prediction of population structure on different hosts in developing life-table based simulations for use in pest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]