Biology and natural enimies of Pine bagworm, Cryptothelea crameri Westwood (Psychidae: Lepidoptera)
Biology and natural enimies of Pine bagworm, Cryptothelea crameri Westwood (Psychidae: Lepidoptera)
M. Ismail Chaudhry and Wali-ur-Rehman
ABSTRACT
Bagwarms, Cryptothlea (Clania) crameri Westwood caused whole sale defoliation of Pinus roxburghii in nine square kilometers in Mirpur forest during 1970-71. study of biology revealed that moths appear from middle of May to middle of July. Males are active fliers but live for a day while females are apterous, apodous and live for 3 to10 days with an average of 7 days. Females remain in
the pupal shell inside the bags and are impregnated by males by inserting their long abdomen through posterior aperture of the bag. Oviposition takes lace from end of may to middle of July with an average fecundity of 1764 eggs ranging from 600 to 3900 per female. Larvae after hatching disperse and construct their bags by uniting small bits of bark of twigs and pass through 5 larval instars during 10.5 to 11 months including 5 moths of hibernation. The larvae pupate in May - June for a period of 7-30 days. The life cycle is annual.
Brachycorphus nursei Cam. (Ichneumonidae) Sturmia inconspicuella and Podomyia sp. (Tachinidae) were
recorded parasitizing bagworms in the defoliated area. Gradual increase in parasite population over took pest population in few years and the insect outbreak was controlled by the natural enemies.
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March 1978
Vol. 28, Iss. 1
