Effectiveness of a modified diet on the rearing of cowpea pod borer Maruca vitrata (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Fabricius in the laboratory

Résumé

In order to mass rear Maruca vitrata under laboratory condition, a study was carried out and aimed to improve the artificial diet usually used to rear Ostrinia nubilalis. The modification consisted of the addition of ingredients, and the reduction of the quantity of some ingredients. The evaluation of the artificial diet quality consisted of the determination of the biological parameters of M. vitrata reared on the artificial diet compared with those reared on natural diet including cowpea flowers. The results showed that the larval mortality and adults emergence rates which are 97.3% and 1% for artificial diets 1 and 78% and 8.20% for artificial diet 2 were lower than those obtained in the same order on the natural diet, 17.90% and 79.70% and 17.30 % and 80.40% for artificial diet 3. However, the larval development was longer on the artificial diets than on the natural diet. Pupae weight, size and female fertility were higher on the natural diet than those obtained on the artificial diet. In contrast, the adult longevity showed no significant difference. This artificial modified diet 3 makes possible M. vitrata continuous rearing under laboratory conditions.

Keywords: Maruca vitrata, diet, ingredients, mass rearing