Keywords
Pieridae
eco-biology
life table
Tripura
north east India
How to Cite
Abstract
Butterflies of the family Pieridae are common in tropical parts of the world. They are considered as major pollinators as well as pests of economically important plants. Catopsilia pomona is a dominant pierid butterfly found in association with wild plants of Tripura, northeast India. It is abundant throughout the year. Present study was conducted to document the eco-biology of Catopsilia pomona with special reference to its life table attributes in the state of Tripura. Survival rates of life cycle stages in the semi-natural as well as in the field were the maximum during the wet and hot season. Mortality (k value) of different life cycle stages as a proportion of individuals dying during development varied from 0.16 to 0.46 in different seasons. Results suggested that abiotic factors and mortality factors of egg significantly influenced the survival rate of C. pomona population. This butterfly depends on three species of Cassia plants, all shrubs, for their oviposition and larval development in the environment of Tripura.
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