J. Env. Bio-Sci., 2014: Vol.

28 (2): 183-186 ISSN 0973-6913 (Print), ISSN 0976-3384 (On Line)

BIOLOGY OF HYPOSIDRA TALACA WALKER (LEPIDOPTERA: GEOMETRIDAE), A

MAJOR DEFOLIATING PEST OF TEAK (TECTONA GRANDIS) IN JAMMU, (J&K)
Sheetal Sharma, J. S. Tara, Sanjay Bhatia, Mohd Feroz1, Jyoti Sharma and Madhavi Gupta
Department of Zoology, University of Jammu, Jammu Tawi-180006, J & K, India.
Govt. Degree College (Boys), Sopore, Baramullah-193201, J&K, India1.
email: sheetal613@gmail.com

Received: 16-08-2014 Accepted: 20-09-2014

Hyposidra talaca (Walker) is a major defoliating pest of teak in Jammu. It is commonly known as black inch worm or twig
caterpillar. The presence of a large number of alternative hosts including forest trees, shade trees and weeds appears to attract
this pest on teak in Jammu. Biology of the pest when studied it was observed that a female moth is capable of laying about 250-300
eggs which it does in batches in the course of 5-6 days. Incubation period varied from 4-6 days. There are five instars and the total
duration of larval period lasted for 15.0-24.0 days and 19.0- 24.0 days respectively during monsoon and post monsoon period. In the
laboratory, the overall total developmental period from egg to adult stage ranged between 28.0 to 41.0 days during monsoon and
33.5 to 43.5 days respectively during post monsoon. It was observed that Hyposidra talaca completed 3-4 overlapping generations
in Jammu conditions on Tectona grandis in one year. Adults commonly observed during June in field and egg laying starts in July
around the bark and twigs of teak tree. Hyposidra talaca extends its activity up to October in laboratory conditions.

Teak is one of the most valuable and widely planted tree species
in South Asia1. In India, teak forests are found to a wide range
of climatic and edaphic conditions and it is preferred for large
scale plantation programs all over India. It is one of the few
woods that has a natural oil to retard water and keeps teak
from wrapping, cracking or becoming brittle. It is extensively
used in ship building, house building, bridge and wharf
construction, furniture, railway carriages, carving, wheel spokes
and numerous other purposes. Teak faces many challenges,
among which is its susceptibility to insect pests, in particular
the defoliators. About 174 species of insects are reported
associated with teak2, but most of them are minor or occasional
pests. However, Hyposidra talaca Walker (Lepidoptera:
Geometridae) is considered as major pest as defoliation caused
by them often affects the plant growth adversely3. The present
study deals with occurrence, host plants, nature of damage
and life cycle of the pest on teak in Jammu (J&K) as no report
on these aspects from the region is available in order to plan a
suitable control measure.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Larvae and pupae were collected from different teak planted
areas in Jammu. Studies were conducted during the period
2010-2012 when the occurrence of the pest was at peak. Adults
were put together in a cage and allowed to mate. After mating
adult female oviposit in laboratory and eggs were counted by
using the stereomicroscope. Eggs were allowed to hatch in
situ and then the freshly hatched larvae were transferred
individually with the help of fine brush to young tender leaves
and reared till the adult emergence by changing the food daily.
Larvae were reared in normal room temperature and
observations were recorded daily to determine the incubation
period, number of moultings, number of larval instars, pupal
period and total developmental period. Number of moultings
was determined based on the casted head capsule. The culture
was maintained continuously till last generation to know the
number of generations completed in one year by the insect pest.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Distribution of Hyposidra talaca: It has a fairly wide
distribution throughout Pakistan, Papua New Guinea,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, Ceylon, Borneo,
Celebes, Philippines and India4-8, Australian Region and Java9-10.
Host Plants: Acacia catechu, Aleurites sp., Bombax
malabaricum, Cassia fistula, Cupressus torulosa, Dalbergia
sissoo, Ficus glomerata, Hevea brasiliensis, Holarrhena
antidysenterica, Lantana sp., Quercus incana, Morus alba,
Scheiehera oleosa, Siegesbeckia orientalis, Syzygium cuminii,
Tectona grandis, Shorea robusta, Terminalia tomentosa, Toona
ciliata and Xylia xylocarpa11-13 Cacao, Cinchona, Coffee, Tea
 Biology Of Hyposidra Talaca Walker.................
and Mimosa invisa14-16 Lagerstroemia indica17; rose, castor,
cabbage, sugarcane, Euphorbia hirta, Sesbania grandiflora,
Sesbania speciosa, mango, Eugenia, Zinnia and Daincha18
and citrus crops.
Life Cycle and Biological Observations
Pairing and Mating: The moth copulates a day after
emergence from the pupae. When dawn approaches, the
females resting on the leaves raised their wings and held
them open. The displacement of the wings is accompanied
by movement of the abdominal tip. The female with the wing
raised shows neither displacement nor apparent wing
movement. She continues to assume the fixed posture until
approached by a male. The male approaches the female in
a slow and swinging movement and male also lifted the wings.
Then, he twisted his abdomen and seeks the tip of the
female's abdomen and copulation takes place in few minutes.
Oviposition and Fecundity: Female deposits their egg
masses on the trunk or branches of the host. Besides trunk,
the female moth has also been seen to lay eggs on the
leaves of the host. A female moth is capable of laying about
250- 300 eggs which it does in batches in the course of 5- 6
days.
Incubation and Hatching: Incubation period varied from 4-
5 days with an average of 4.50± 0.527 days and 4.0- 6.0
days with an average of 5.30±0.823 days during monsoon
and post monsoon in the year 2010-11. During 2011-2012
the incubation period varies from 4.0-6.0 (5.20±0.788) days
in monsoon period and 5.0-6.0 (5.60±0.516) days in post
monsoon period (Table 1&2). Almost similar observations
have been made some authors on tea crop where they
recorded an average incubation period of 6 days. Egg
clutches ready to hatch changed from bluish-green to yellow.
Hatching takes place during night hours19.
Egg: Eggs are greenish in color. They are oval in shape
measuring about 0.8 to 1.3 mm with an average of 1.06±
0.059 mm in length and 0.6 to 1.1 mm with an average of
0.88± 0.059 mm in width. The egg period lasts for 4 to 6
days.
Post Hatching Activity of the Larva: Newly hatched
caterpillars disperse from the teak trees with the help of
salivary thread in huge number. Findings of the author on
post hatching activity of the larvae indicate that immediately
after the larvae moves about actively for some time and then
(184)
dropped on a salivary thread to the feeding sites. The young
larva is black with a transverse white line on each segment of
the abdomen. In early stage it possess purplish- brown colour
with faint dots. The larva feeds by eating steadily from the edge
inwards or making large isolated holes on the leaf.
Larval Development and Number of Instars: Present
investigator observed that the caterpillar passes through five
instars before transforming into pupa thus in conformity with the
earlier report some workers 19-20. In each instar, the larva
undergoes some change in colour besides the change in size.
The first and second instar larvae are grayish black in color with
white cross bands on the abdomen. The body is slender with
broad head. The black head bears inconspicuous ocelli at sides
and pale brown labrum below. The three pairs of thoracic legs
are also black and are directed forward with pale brown claws.
The prologs are two pairs only conforming to typical true looper
and located on the 6th and 10th abdominal segments. Third
Instar attains a length of 12.5± 0.745 mm and width of 1.83±
0.163 mm. The frontal area on the head is slightly depressed
and pale coloured and the ad frontal area is thin and narrow.
Fourth Instar grows bigger in size due to voracious feeding. The
general body colour tends to be brownish. Fifth Instar is stout,
cylindrical and its surface is devoid of tubercles. The setae hardly
seen at the sides and are in the form of very thin and short hairs.
Legs are dark brown and prolegs stout and strong to support
the body of the sub-stratum.
Total Duration of Larval Period : The total duration of larval
period of Hyposidra talaca on teak in the area of present
investigator lasted for 17.5- 24.0 days with an average of 20.25±
1.457 days and 19.0- 24.0 days with an average of 21.25±1.419
days respectively during monsoon and post monsoon in the
year 2010-11 (Table-1). During 2011-2012 the incubation period
varies from15.0-21.5 (18.35±2.00) days in monsoon period and
17.5-22.0 (19.95±1.257) days in post monsoon period (Table-2).
Review of literature reveals lot of variations in the duration of
larval period on different crops at different places. Some
researchers recorded the total larval period of 26 to 29 days with
a mean of 26.68 days on tea in Darjeeling Terai19 whereas other
workers reported average of 25 days in Dehra Dun on Quercus
incana13. However, some workers recorded the total larval period
of 18 to 20 days on Sesbania speciosa in Coimbatore20. From
all these observations, the present author concludes that the
difference in the duration of larval stages may be attributed to
the difference in the overall climate of the experimental area and
(185) Sharma, Tara, Bhatia, Feroz, Sharma and Gupta

Table-1. Duration (Days) of different stages in the life cycle of Hyposidra talaca during
2010-2011.

Table-2. Duration (Days) of different stages in the life cycle of Hyposidra talaca
during 2011-2012.
Stage Monsoon Post Monsoon
 Biology Of Hyposidra Talaca Walker.................
the type of host plant selected for its development.
Prepupa: During its prepupal stages larva suspended its
feeding became motionless, reduced in size. Prepupa is
greenish in colour which turned slightly brown in later stages.
Prepupal period of Hyposidra talaca lasted for 1.0-3.0 days
(Table- 1 & 2).
Pupa: Pupa is dark brown. Duration of the pupal period was
observed to be minimum of 8 days and maximum of 10.0 days
during monsoon and 9.0 days minimum and 10.5 days
maximum during post monsoon period on teak as a host plant
in the area of the investigator (Table- 1 & 2) which was
comparatively lower than the studies made by researchers
who recorded pupal period 18.94± 0.30 days19. Variations in
the pupal period ranging from 8- 15 and 8- 9 days were reported
by other workers13, 20.
Total Life Cycle Duration: In the laboratory, the overall total
developmental period from egg to adult stage ranged between
28.0 to 41.0 days during monsoon and 33.5 to 43.5 days
respectively during post monsoon. One worker recorded the
life cycle duration about 30 to 32 days20 whereas total
development period was recorded 55.0± 0.28 on tea crop 19.
Adult: Males measured an average of 35.6± 0.69 mm width
along with wing span ranging from 35.0 to 37.0 mm and are
12.9± 0.875 mm long whereas females are 14.9± 0.737 mm
long and 39± 0.816 mm wide. Male and female moths lived for
a period of about 4.0 to 7.0 days and 4.0 to 8.0 days respectively
when fed with 10 % honey solution in the laboratory.
Number of Generations: It was observed that the Hyposidra
talaca completed 3-4 overlapping generations in Jammu
conditions on Tectona grandis.
Seasonal Availability: Adults commonly observed during
June and egg laying starts in July around the bark and twigs
of teak tree. Hyposidra talaca extends its activity upto October
in laboratory conditions.
Nature of Damage: Present investigator found the caterpillars
of this pest to defoliate the leaves and their feeding increases
with the subsequent instars. The first instar larvae usually
remain on the border of leaves and are carried by wind from
tree to tree, suspended by long threads that they spin. The
caterpillars are leaf feeders. The newly hatched caterpillar
scrapes the green matter on the tender leaves. The 2nd and
3rd instars make small holes along the margins of young leaves
and then feed on entire leaf leaving only the thicker veins.
(186)
From late 3rd instar larvae and mature larvae became rapacious
feeder and feed voraciously on the foliage and reduce them to
mere stalks. In severe attack the caterpillars defoliate the host
plants completely thereby retarding the growth of these valuable trees.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors are greatly thankful to Head, Department of Zoology,
University of Jammu for providing necessary facilities to work.
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