October 21, 2020
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The developmental biology and desdcription of the various stages of the oka flea beetle, Podagrica uniforma (Jac) was studied in the laboratory. The mean life cycle was 38 days. Egg was light yellow and elliptical. Mean length of eggs was 0.008mm while egg width was 0.33mm. Larva was oligopod and elongate. The thoracic and abdominal regions were off-white color while the head and anal disc were brown in color respectively. The head capsule width of the first, second and third instars averages 0.20, 0.30 and 0.43mm respectively. Average growth rate for the three larva instar stage was 1.5; thus the measurement of the larva head capsules conformed with Dyars rule. There was a high significant correlation between the mean width of the head capsules and elapsing developmental period (P<0.05)r = 0.99). the prepupa was a non-feeding, sluggish larva stage. The means of prepupal length and width were 3.60mm and 0.70mm respectively. Pupa was exarate off-white in color and looked like a mummified adult. Pupal length and width averaged 2.86mm 1.13mm respectively. Females were significantly larger than males (P<0.05) and the sex ratio (female to male) was 1, 45:1.
The developmental biology and desdcription of the various stages of the oka flea beetle, Podagrica uniforma (Jac) was studied in the laboratory. The mean life cycle was 38 days. Egg was light yellow and elliptical. Mean length of eggs was 0.008mm while egg width was 0.33mm. Larva was oligopod and elongate. The thoracic and abdominal regions were off-white color while the head and anal disc were brown in color respectively. The head capsule width of the first, second and third instars averages 0.20, 0.30 and 0.43mm respectively. Average growth rate for the three larva instar stage was 1.5; thus the measurement of the larva head capsules conformed with Dyars rule. There was a high significant correlation between the mean width of the head capsules and elapsing developmental period (P<0.05)r = 0.99). the prepupa was a non-feeding, sluggish larva stage. The means of prepupal length and width were 3.60mm and 0.70mm respectively. Pupa was exarate off-white in color and looked like a mummified adult. Pupal length and width averaged 2.86mm 1.13mm respectively. Females were significantly larger than males (P<0.05) and the sex ratio (female to male) was 1, 45:1.