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J. en!. Res., 14 (1) : 60-62 (1990)
Relative toxicity of some important insecticides
to Bihar hairy caterpillar, Spilosoma obliqua (Walker)
(Arctiidae : Lepidoptera)
D.K. NAGIA, SANJAY KUMAR AND M.L. SAINI
Central Insecticides Laboratory, Directorate of Plant Protection.
Quarantine and Storage. NH-W. Faridabad-121 001 (India)
ABSTRACf : The toxicity of eleven Insecticides to second Instar larvae of Spitosoma
obliqruz (W1k.) was studied. On the basis of LC. values, the descending order of toxicity was
: deltamethrln(0.00313) followed bycypermethrln(0.00601),fenpropathrln (0.00921), fenvalerate
(0.00952), ftuvallnate (0.01556), endosulfan (0.01914), methyl parathion (0.02057), and
mooocrotophos (0.02786). Dlazlnon, trlazophos and ac:ephate were found Ineffective.
Bihar hairy caterpillar, Spilosoma obliqua (Wlk.) is a pest of number ofimportant crops,
viz. vegetables (cabbage, radish, cauliflower, bean, potato), pulses (pigeon pea, cowpea, green
gt'llOl, black gram, soybean), oilseeds (castor, mustard,sunflower, groundnut, sesamum), fibres
(cotton,jute), andmedicinal plants (Hibiscusabelmoschus Linn.,H. rosa-s{nensisLinn. Mentha
arvensis Linn., Chenopodium ambrosioides Linn.). Its early instars (lst/2nd) feed gregariously
andlate instars (3rd/4th) scatter in thefield. Earlier about threedozen insecticides wereevaluated
liy various workers against this pest. Someof these like deltamethrin, cypermethrin, quinalphos,
endosulfan, fenvalerate, permethrin, methyl parathion, trichlorphon and phosphamidon proved
to be effective (Prasad and Sachan, 1985; Singh; Sircar and Dhingra, 1985; Nagia, Kumar
and Saini, 1990). Some workers reported that early larval instars of the pest were more
susceptible to insecticides and easy to control in comparison to late instars (Yadav, Singh and
Sinha, 1984; Saini, 1986). Larvae of Bihar hairy are also harmful in its stages
(lst/2nd instar larvae). Hence, the relative toxicity of some of the insecticides found effective
against grown-uplarvae ofthis insect, along withdewnewer insecticides was evaluatedagainst
the 2nd instar larvae.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Culture of Bihar hairy caterpillar, S. obliqua was maintained in the laboratory on castor
(Ricinus communisL.) leaves at26 1Cand705%relativehumidity (RH) intheenvironment
chamber. Second instar larvae were used for evaluating efficacy of deltamethrin 2.8 EC,
cypermethrin 10 Ee, fenpropathrin 10 EC, fenvalerate 20 EC, fluvalinate 25 EC, endosulfan
35 EC, methyl parathion 50 EC, monocrotophos 36 SL,diazinon 20 EC, triazophos 40 EC
and acephate 75 SP in the laboratory after dissolving them in distilled water for requisite
concentrations.
Castor .leaves were cut to 90 mm diameter size and placed inside the Petri dishes
(100 x 15 mm) keeping ventral surfa,ce of the leaves upwards. Five different concentrations
of each test insecticide were sprayed over such leaf portions under Potter's spray tower using






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Relative toxicity of insecticides to S. obliqua (Walker) 61
1 ml spray solution. One leaf portion served as one replicate and three such replications were
included in each experiment. Sprayed leaves were dried for about 10 minutes under ceiling
fan and placed over moist tissue paper to keep them turgid in the fresh Petri dishes (145 x
20 mm). Ten second instar larvae were then released over these leaves in each Petri dish.
Control treatment was sprayed with water only. SuchPetri dishes with treated leaves and larvae
were kept in the environment chamber maintained at 26 lC and 70 5% RH. The data
on mortality of larvae were recorded 48 hours after their exposure. on treated leaves. Also,
the moribund insects were considered as dead. The data were subjected to probitanalysis to
calculate Le
so
and .LC
90
values of different insecticides (Finney, 1971).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
All the five synthetic pyrethroids were comparatively more toxic to early stage larvae
than organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides included in the experiment. LC
so
and
LC
90
values of deltamethrin, cypermethrin, fenpropathrin, fenvalerate and fluvalinate were
calculated as 0.00313 and 0.01043, 0.00601 and 0.03100, 0.00921 and 0.04636, 0.00952 and
0.02062, and 0.01556 and 0.09350 per cent. respectively. The similar values for endosulfan,
methyl parathion and monocrotophos were 0.01914 and 0.16220, 0.02057 and 0.44495, and
0.02786 and 0.11600 per cent, respectively. These values for diazinon, triazophos and acephate
could not be calculated since maximum 3.33 to 30 per cent insect mortality was obtained with
as high as 0.1 per cent concentration of these insecticides (Table 1). .
Table 1. Toxicity of eleven insecticides against early stage larvae of S. obliqua (Wlk.)
Insecticide Regression equation
Deltamethrin Y = 1.3376 + 2.4490x 0.00313
Cypermethrin Y =3.6003 + 1.7968x 0.00601
Fenpropathrin Y = 3.2411 + 1.8239x 0.00921
Fenvalerate Y = 1.2706 + 3.8114x 0.00952
Auvalinate Y = 3.0404 + 1.6438x 0.01556
Endosulfan Y = 3.2319 + 1.3792x 0.01914
Methyl parathion Y = 3.7408 + 0.9588x 0.02057
Monocrotophos Y = 2.0148 + 2.0660x 0.02786
Diazinon 0.1% concentration gave 30.00% larval mortality
Triazophos 0:1% concentration gave 2333% larval mortality
Acephate 0.1% concentration gave 3.33% larval mortality
0.01043
0.03100
0.04636
0.02062
0.09350
0.16220
0.44495
0.11600
In each case, data were found to be significantly homogeneous at P = 0.05, Y= Probit kill, x= log
concentration, LC'll =Concentration calculated to give 50% mortality, LC
lIO
=Concentration calculated
to give 90% mortality. .
Amongst synthetic pyrethroids, deltamethrin was almosttwice as toxic as cypermethrin,
thrice as fenpropathrin and fenvalerate, and five times as toxic as fluvalinate at LC
so
level.
When relative toxicity of all the insecticides tested was compared among themselves with
LC
so
value ofmonocrotophos, the least effective insecticideas unity, deltamethrin, cypermethrin,






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62 D.K.. NAGIA, SANJAY KUMAR AND M.L. SAINI
fenpropathrin, fenvalerate, fluvalinate, endosulfan and methyl parathion were 8.9, 4.64,3.02,
2.93, 1.19, 1.46 and 1.35 times as toxic as monocrotophos (Table 2). The toxicity trend of
insecticides was, however, slightly different at LC
gQ
level.
Table 2. Relative toxicity of insecticides amongst themselves at LC
50
level against S. obliqua (Wlk.)
Insecticide Relative toxicity based on
DELT CYP FENP FENV FLUV ENDO MP MONO
Deltamethrin 1.00. 1.92 2.94 3.04 4.97 6.12 6.57 8.90
Cypermethrin 0.52 1.00 1.53 1.58 2.59 3.18 3.42 4.64
Fenpropathrin 0.34 0.65 1.00 1.03 1.69 2.08 2.2j 3.02
Fenvalerate 0.33 0.63 0.97 1.00 . 1.63 2.01 2.16 2.93
Fluvalinate 0.20 0.39 0.59 0.61 1.00 1.23 1.32 1.79
Endosulfan 0.16 0.31 0.48 0.50 0.81 1.00 1.07 1.46
Methyl parathion 0.15 0.29 0.45 0.46 0.76 0.93 1.00 1.35
Monocrotophos 0.11 0.22 0.33 0.34 0.56 0.69 0.74 1.00
Thus, deltamethrin was most toxic insecticide against early instar larvae of S. obliqua,
while cypermethrin, fenpropathrin, fenvalerate and fluvalinate were more effective than
endosulfan, methyl parathion and monocrotophos. Diazinon, triazophos and acephate were
practically ineffective insecticides.
REFERENCES
Finney, D. 1. 1971. Probit Analysis. Cambridge University Press, London. 333 pp.
Nagia, D. K., Sanjay Kumar and Saini, M. L. 1990. Laboratory evaluation of some insecticides against
Bihar hairy caterpillar, Spilosoma obliqua (Walker) (Arctiidlie: Lepidoptera) oncastor (Ricinus
communis L.). Pl. Prot. Bull. (India), 42 (1 & 2) : 13-16.
Prasad, M. S. R. K. and Sachan, G. C. 1985. Toxicity of some synthetic pyrethroids by three methods
of application against Diacrisia obliqua Walker. Pesticides, 19.(12) : 50-53.
Saini, M. L. 1986. Use of pesticides in the integrated pestmanagementtechnology. Pl. Prot. Bull. (India),
38 : (1-4) : 83-86.
Singh, D. S., Sircar, P. and Dhingra, S. 1985. Status of Bihar hairy caterpillar, Diacrisia obliqua Walker
(Arctiidae: Lepidoptera) inthecontextofsusceptibilitytopyrethroidandnon-pyrethroidinsecticides
evaluated during the last two decades. J. ene. Res., 9 (1) : 15-18.
Yadav, R. P., Singh, R. and Sinha, P. K. 1984. Stomach andcontact toxicity of some important insecticides
to Bihar hairy caterpillar, Diacrisia obliqua Walker infesting sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas Poir.
J. ene. Res., 8 (1) : 42-45.
(Accepted: May 10, 1990)