Morphometric Variation across Developmental Stages of Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) Reared on Walnut Kernels
Rukshanda Hanif
Division of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Wadura, Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Abu Manzar *
Division of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Wadura, Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
M Jamal Ahmad
Division of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Wadura, Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Angrej Ali
Division of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Wadura, Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Waseem Hassan Raja
Department of Fruit Science, ICAR, Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Rangreth Srinagar-191132, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
M. H. Chesti
Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Wadura, Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Fahim Jeelani Wani
Division of Agricultural economics and Statistics, Faculty of Agriculture Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Wadura, Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Iqra Qureshi
Division of Agricultural economics and Statistics, Faculty of Agriculture Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Wadura, Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Munazah Yaqoob
Division of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Wadura, Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Sajad Mohi-Ud-Din
Division of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Wadura, Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Liyaqat Ayub
Division of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Wadura, Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Rabia Lone
Division of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Wadura, Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Kshetrimayum Jabaskumar Singh
Division of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Wadura, Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Showkat Ahmad Shiekh
Division of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Wadura, Sopore-193201, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton), is an important stored-product insect whose growth and developmental characteristics may vary with rearing substrate and environmental conditions. Although morphometric information is available for the species under different rearing conditions, stage-specific morphometric data for C. cephalonica developing on walnut kernels remain limited, warranting systematic documentation under laboratory conditions. The study documented morphometric variation across developmental stages of the rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton), reared on walnut kernels under laboratory conditions. Morphometric observations were recorded for the egg, successive larval instars, pupa, and adult using a stereomicroscope. Five specimens from each developmental stage were measured, and mean values were calculated for the recorded characters. Egg length and breadth were 0.48 and 0.34 mm, respectively. Larval body dimensions increased progressively across successive instars, with mean length rising from 1.62 mm in the first instar to 11.50 mm in the sixth instar, while mean breadth increased from 0.37 to 2.08 mm. The pupa measured 10.22 mm in length and 1.82 mm in breadth, showing a slight reduction in length relative to the sixth larval instar. Adult females were marginally larger than males, with mean body lengths of 11.25 and 10.88 mm, respectively, and wing spans of 15.68 and 15.61 mm. Overall, the observations showed a clear stage-wise progression in body size during larval development, followed by the expected transition to pupal and adult forms. The findings provide condition-specific baseline morphometric information for C. cephalonica reared on walnut kernels and may support identification and description of its developmental stages under comparable laboratory conditions.
Keywords: Rice moth, walnut kernel, morphometry, developmental stages, larval instars, stored-product insect, pupal morphology, adult morphology