Gaur, Ram KaranShivakumar K.2016-11-252016-11-252016http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/87461Field and laboratory studies on Bioecology of castor capsule borer, Conogethes punctiferalis Guenee (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae) were carried out at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Regional research station, Bawal during 2015-16. Studies on biology of C. punctiferalis showed that eggs of this species were pale white, round, oval shaped and found singly or in groups of 4 to 7. The incubation period varied from 4 to 5 days. There were five larval instars and the total larval duration varied from 15 to 20 days. The pupa was dark brown in colour, obtect and pupal period varied from 9 to 11 days. Female moth having tuft of anal hairs but it is absent in case of male moth. Male moths of C. punctiferalis were smaller (mean 21.90��0.70 mm in wing expense) than female (mean 23.40��1.24 mm in wing expense). Adult male lived for 5 to 6 days whereas female for 6 to 7 days. The total life span of male ranged from 34 to 73 days, while that of female from 35 to 76 days in different generations. There was a ifference in sex ratio, being in favour of female both in laboratory and field condition. The pest completed five generations in a year. The presence of brown frass and fecal pellets around the entrance hole was the symptom of infestation of this pest. The observations on pest infestation showed that infestation fluctuated from 2.0 to 14.2 per cent. The peak level of infestation (14.2 per cent) was recorded during November 16-30, 2015. The pest infestation showed negative correlation with maximum temperature (-0.394), minimum temperature (-0.346) and rainfall (-0.121) whereas positive correlation with morning (0.479) and evening (0.206) relative humidity. This pest caused 10.5 per cent seed infestation in castor, 2 to 5 percent damage on guava fruit whereas no infestation was found on ber, aonla and mulberry. The castor capsule borer caused the economic loss an approximately Rs. 7560 per hectare in castor crop.enThesis