Larval host specificity and proboscis morphology of fruit piercing moths.

The neonate larvae of Othreis materna (L.) fed only on the leaves of Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.), whereas the larvae of O. fullonia (Clerck) completed their life cycle on the hosts viz., T. cordifolia, Tiliacora acuminata Miers. and Diploclisia glaucescens (Blume) from neonate stage itself and it could not feed on Cocculus hirsutus (L.) Diels. and Erythrina indica (Lam.). Except T. cordifolia and E. indica the larvae of O. homaena reared on C. hirsutus, T. acuminata and D. glaucescens completed the life cycle. The larval duration was lesser when reared on C. hirsutus than the T. acuminata and D. glaucescens. The neonate larvae of Rhytia hypermnestra (Stoll) fed only on T. cordifolia with successful survivability. The proboscis of male and female of O. materna, O. fullonia, O. homaena and R. hypermnestra had three sclerotised oblique blades with sharp edges, six erectile barbs arranged in two rows near the tip which was sharply pointed. The total length of the proboscis of O. materna measured 13.90 mm and the sclerotised tip was very short measuring 1.21mm in male whereas it was 14.30 and 1.27 mm in female, respectively. The proboscis length of male O. fullonia, O. homaena and R.hyperm nestra was measured to be 15.25, 13.40 and 15.15 mm, respectively whereas in female it was 17.50, 14.70, 15.60 mm. The sclerotised tip of male moth measured 1.34, 1.30 and 1.27 mm, respectively and in female 1.49 mm in O. fullonia and 1.34 mm in both O. homaena and R. hypermnestra.