Nutritional indices and food utilization of tomato fruit worm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner, 1808) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on ten tomato cultivars

Nutritional performance of the larval stages (fourth, fifth, and sixth instars) of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on unripe green fruit of ten tomato cultivars, including ‘Aras’, ‘Atrak’, ‘Korall’, ‘Mobil’, ‘Rio Grande Hed’, ‘Sivand’, ‘Super Chief’, ‘Super Mobil’, ‘Super Queen’ and ‘Super Urbana’, was studied at 26±1°C, 60±10% RH and a photoperiod of 16:8 L:D. Approximate digestibility values of the fourth instar larvae were highest (98.239±0.026%) and lowest (95.733±0.056%) on ‘Atrak’ and ‘Super Chief’, respectively. Fifth instar larvae fed on ‘Mobil’ showed the highest relative growth rate (RGR) and relative consumption rate (RCR) (0.316±0.038% and 7.369±0.669%, respectively). Approximate digestibility (AD) values of the sixth instar larvae were highest (96.264±0.114%) and lowest (92.349±0.120%) on ‘Super Chief’ and ‘Super Queen’, respectively. The highest ECI and ECD values of total larval instars (4th, 5th and 6th instars) was observed on ‘Rio Grande Hed’ (4.364±0.093% and 4.593±0.105%, respectively) and the lowest of both values was on ‘Super Urbana’ (3.034±0.021% and 3.187±0.022%, respectively). The results of nutritional indices and the cluster analysis indicated that ‘Sivand’ and ‘Super Queen’ were unsuitable hosts for feeding of H. armigera among tested cultivars.