J.R. PATEL, I.S. PATEL

The newly hatched larvae feed on the leaves of the central whorl and it mines the sheath and often tunnels inside the midrib. The older larvae bore down inside the funnel of the plant and feed on internal tissues of stem which caused ‘dead hearts’. The female of C. partellus preferred to lay eggs in clusters usually on lower surface of leaves near the midrib and sometimes on upper surface of leaves. It was oval in shape and overlapping each other in rows. The length and breadth of eggs were 0.96 ± 0.05 and 0.62 ± 0.02mm., respectively. The incubation period was 3.45± 0.45 days with hatching per cent of 59.47 ± 11.29.The caterpillars passed through six larval instars. The total larval period was 21.40 ± 3.74 days. The duration of pre–pupae was 1.80 ± 0.84 days. The duration of male and female pupa was 4.10 ± 0.92 and 4.20 ± 1.42 days,respectively. The longevity of male and female adult was 3.06 ± 0.60 and 3.40 ± 0.60 days, respectively. The pre– oviposition, oviposition and post–oviposition periods noted as 1.60 ± 0.55, 1.60 ± 0.55 and 1.30 ± 0.45days, respectively. The total life span of male and female was 34.60 ± 2.01 and 36.04 ± 2.46days, respectively.