Sensitivity of tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura, to extract from a medicinal plant, Withania somnifera

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Kumar Gaur ◽  
Krishna Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
Spodoptera Litura ◽  
Withania Somnifera ◽  
Tobacco Caterpillar

scholarly journals Withania somnifera acts as a potential insect growth regulator in the polyphagous pest, Pericallia ricini

2018 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Kumar Gaur ◽  
Krishna Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
Withania Somnifera ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Adult Emergence ◽  
Topical Administration ◽  
Insect Growth Regulator ◽  
Developmental Abnormalities ◽  
Insect Growth ◽  
Root Extracts ◽  
Seed Extracts

Abstract Both seed and root extracts of the medicinal plant, Ashwagandha, Withania somnifera exhibit insect growth regulatory activity against the polyphagous pest, Pericallia ricini. Topical administration of W. somnifera seed and root extracts to last instar larvae of P. ricini disrupted moulting and metamorphosis, leading to a number of developmental abnormalities such as delay in larval-pupal and pupal-adult ecdysis, formation of larval-pupal, pupal-adult and larval-pupal-adult mosaics/chimeras, ecdysial failure, suppression of pupation and adult emergence and formation of abnormal pupae and adultoids. The treatment with seed extracts was more severe than that of root extracts as it completely suppressed the pupation and adult emergence. The results clearly suggest that the medicinal plant, W. somnifera acts as a potential insect growth regulatory (IGR) disrupting the moulting and metamorphosis as a consequence of interference with the endocrine system.

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