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VOL. 9, ISSUE 8 (2024)
Life cycle and larval performance of the endangered pea blue butterfly, Lampides boeticus (Linneaus, 1767) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) from Visakhapatnam, east coast of south India
Authors
Bodapati Samatha, Matala Bhupathi Rayalu, Meruva Vijayakumar
Abstract
This research presents the first in-depth
exploration of the life cycle of the endangered pea blue butterfly, Lampides
boeticus L., and examines larval performance, focusing on food intake,
utilization, and the duration of the life cycle on the host plant Crotalaria
laburnifolia L. The study was conducted in 2023 in Visakhapatnam, South
India (17° 42' N and 82° 18' E). The findings indicate that the butterfly's
life cycle spans 17 to 22 days, with an average of 20.20 ± 0.84 days. The life
stages include an egg stage lasting 3 days, a larval stage of 7-9 days, and a
pupal stage of 7-10 days. Nutritional indices were assessed across different
instars, revealing Approximate Digestibility (AD) between 70.98% and 97.05%,
Efficiency of Conversion of Digested food (ECD) from 4.84% to 22.10%, and
Efficiency of Conversion of Ingested food (ECI) from 4.70% to 15.69% under
controlled laboratory conditions of 28 ± 2°C and 80 ± 10% relative humidity.
The high ECD and ECI values suggest that Lampides boeticus is well
adapted to urban environments, contributing to its ecological success in
Visakhapatnam.
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Pages:217-221
How to cite this article:
Bodapati Samatha, Matala Bhupathi Rayalu, Meruva Vijayakumar "Life cycle and larval performance of the endangered pea blue butterfly, <i>Lampides boeticus </i>(Linneaus, 1767) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) from Visakhapatnam, east coast of south India". International Journal of Entomology Research, Vol 9, Issue 8, 2024, Pages 217-221
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