Investigations were conducted on the lepidopterous borers Conogethes sahyadriensis sp. nov. and Conogethes punctiferalis Guenée infesting cardamom and castor, respectively. For a long a period, the borer on cardamom and castor were considered as Conogethes punctiferalis only in 2018, the cardamom borer and castor borer were identified as different species. So, it became imperative to understand the bioecology of these two sympatric borer species occurring in the same or in adjacent cultivated habitats. On respective host plants, the average fecundity was 56 eggs/female (C. sahyadriensis) compared to 38 eggs/ female (C. punctiferalis) (n=8 pairs). The borer egg viability was 69.5% on cardamom compared to 66 % on castor. The 5th instar larval weight of C. sahyadriensis was 73.5 mg compared to 65 mg of C. punctiferalis. Pupal weight of C. sahyadriensis was 93.5 mg compared to 46 mg of C. punctiferalis. The castor borer completed the life cycle on an average in 34.50 days compare

Conogethes sahyadriensis, Conogethes punctiferalis, biophysical characters, Cardamom, Castor, Biology, Resistance, South India.

Biological studies on two Conogethes spp on cardamom and castor for the first have been brought out striking differences. On respective hosts, the average fecundity was 38 eggs/female (castor) compared to 56 eggs/female (cardamom). The egg viability was 66 % on castor compared to 69.5% on cardamom. The 5th instar larval weight was 65 mg on castor compared to 73.5 mg on cardamom. Pupal weight was 46 mg compared to 93.5 mg on cardamom. The castor borer completed the life cycle on an average in 34.50 days on castor compared to 39 days on cardamom. When Conogethes reared on cardamom were implanted on castor, larvae suffered cent per cent mortality and viceversa. As the trichome number/cm2 (0 to 15), trichome length (0 to 7.8 mm), capsules number/spike (31 to 43), capsule size (1.24 to 2.21 cm) and shoot diameter (7.9 to 9.8 mm) increased with the number of borer eggs on castor types. This study has brought out striking differences in the preference of borer for biophysica

Doddabasappa, B., Mutthuraju, G.P. and Chakravarthy, A.K. (2021). Biology and Role of Plant biophysical Parameters in cardamom and castor for Resistance to Shoot and capsule borers, Conogethes sahyadriensis sp. nov. and Conogethes punctiferalis Guenée