Significance of the Chaetotaxy in Larval Identification of Pyrausta bambucivora Moore (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Pyraustinae)

Pyrausta bambucivora Moore is commonly known as bamboo leaf roller. Larvae of this species rigorously attack bamboo tree and left it deskeletonized after feeding on them. The identification and control of this pest species is much more important at imago stage than that at adult by studying their biology and chaetotaxy. The purpose to carry out chaetotaxic studies of aforesaid species is to identify the different setae and puncture on the larval head and other body segments by studying their arrangements, distribution pattern and size, which further help to classify the species. Globally, the minority of workers such as Mathur (1954 and 1959), Singh (1956), Mathur and Singh (1963), Azam and Ali (1965), Franzmann and Garrett (1978), Yoshiyasu (1980), Goel and Kumar (1981), Stehr (1987), Lin (1993), Amutha and David (1998), Rose and Singh (2010) and Pinheiro et. al., (2011) have given significant contribution in intensification of the chaetotaxic study. So due to paucity of chaetotaxic information and nomenclature, in the present paper, we endow with detailed descriptions of the chaetotaxic study of Pyrausta bambucivora Moore along with diagram’s. Material and Methods