IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF AZADIRACHTA INDICA LEAVES EXTRACT ON SPILOSOMA OBLIQQUA WALKER (BIHAR HAIRY CATERPILLAR) INFESTING MORUS ALBA L., (MULBERRY PLANT)

Numbers of plants have insecticidal properties this some of them are used in agriculture crop protection from polyphagous insectpests.Azadirachta indicaleaves have strong insecticidal properties.Spilosoma obliqqua Walker is one of the majorinsect pest attacksonthe mulberry plant and they are adversely affecting plant health which results inthe deterioration of the quality andquantity of mulberry leaves. Mulberryleavesarethe sole food materialof silkworm larvae (Bombyx moriL.)which is used for rearing and production of natural silk. The seasonal incidence of Spilosoma obliqqua Walkeron mulberry was highest in the mulberry garden of the Ahmednagar district from May 2016 to April 2017.The Spilosoma obliqqua Walker exposed to Azadirachta indica (Neem) leaves extracts against the 4thinstar caterpillar under the laboratory of the Department of Zoology in Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad (M.S) India. The results show that the 4th instar caterpillar does not feedthe extract-treated mulberry leaves and mortality of the caterpillar was positive and other biological characteristics of the caterpillar show negative effects in treatment. Details of this are discussed in the text.