Some morphological, biological characteristics of bamboo caterpillar (Omphisa fuscidentalis Hampson)

Abstract

Bamboo caterpillar (Omphisia fuscidentalis Hampson) is in Lepidoptera
order, Crambidae family. Bamboo caterpillar is a favourite food of
mountain people. Bamboo caterpillar is a pantamorphia insect. The larvae
of Bamboo caterpillar has 13 segments, 3 pairs of thorax legs, 5 pairs of
abdominal legs, a mandibulatory mouth part, non - complex eyes, 5 occelli
near by antenna. The antenna is very short with 2 segments. The pupa is not
contained in a cuccoon, and the adult moth has a sucking mouth part.
Bamboo caterpillar life cycle lasts around 12 months. The larva phase has
five instars and lasts from 9 to 10 months. The larvae bore a hole in the
bamboo shoot, destroying the inner pulp, and then bore through the
internodes moving upwards through the stem. The active larval phase lasts
between 40 to 60 days. Then the larvae hang upside down inside the stem at
an internode. The color of pupa changes over time as it matures. Several
hours after emergence, the adult finds a mate to copulate, and this process
takes place at night. The female lays a cluster of about 80 - 130 eggs in a
newly developed bamboo shoot. The ova development takes place around 12 days, and adults live about 8 days. The bamboo caterpillar has only one
lifecycle per year. Additionally, adults often appear in early July through to
the middle of August. They lay eggs from the middle of July to the end of
August. The larval period lasts from September to May. A larva
metamorphoses into a chrysalis at the end of May to early July. The larvae
then undergo a period of diapause, which lasts from the end of October to
May. Bamboo caterpillar are confronted with many natural enemies such as
woodpecker, house gecko and ant species.