Effect of Some Flavonoids on Survival and Development of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Spodoptera litura (Fab) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The aim of the study was to test the effect of three flavonoids on growth and survival of \nHelicoverpa armigera (Hüb) and Spodoptera litura (Fab.). A set of experiments were carried out with \nvarying concentrations of three flavonoids namely chlorogenic acid, quercetin and rutin at 23±1ºC on \ngrowth, development and mortality of larvae of pod borer Helicoverpa armigera and tobacco caterpillar \nSpodoptera litura in artificial diets. Rutin caused significant effect on the inhibition of H. armigera larvae \nin higher concentrations, where a proportion of larvae spent between 30-51 days in excess time in larval \nstage III-V instar which had negative impact on growth because of cessation of feeding by the larvae. H. \narmigera larvae formed cocoons of their diets and lay still inside the cocooned diet. Healthy H. armigera \nmoth emergence was common in chlorogenic acid and quercetin, but the moths did not produce any \nprogeny. In case of S. litura, rutin alone had a significant effect on arrested larval development, pupal \nmortality and malformed adults compared to artificial diets with quercetin and chlorogenic acid. The \nincrease in concentrations of rutin did not show proportionate increase in mortality of the larvae. The \naverage excess days at all concentrations of quercetin and chlorogenic acid ranged between 40-55 days. \nThese results indicate a delay in development and suggests that rutin interferes in with physiological \nprocesses in both insects at the time of molting.