The Common Banded Awl, Hasora chromus is univalent and seasonal and endangered in Southern Andhra Pradesh. It was on wing from April to Nov and breeds almost with high frequency during the periods of monsoon and post monsoon seasons. The development from egg to adult was 18 – 24 days. There was no dormant stage in the life history. Success development of egg, larvae and pupae was 50 - 90 %, 50 – 80 % and 50 - 80 % during the said period. Short life cycle and high success development of life stages suggest the production of 8 - 9 broods in the season. Nutritional indices growth rate (GR), consumption index (CI) and approximate digestibility(AD) decreased as the larvae aged, while those of efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD) and efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) were increased.

1. Bulletin of Pure and Applied Sciences.
Vol.31A (Zoology),Issue No.1 , 2012:P.23-28
www.bpas.in
ECOBIOLOGY OF THE COMMON BANDED AWL
HASORA CHROMUS(CRAMER)(LEPIDOPTERA:
RHOPALOCERA: SATYRIDAE) FROM SOUTHERN
ANDHRA PRADESH
P. Harinath, V. Prasanna Kumar and S.P.Venkata Ramana*
Department of Zoology, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh,India
Corresponding author e- mail: spvramana.butterfly@gmail.com
Received on 5 February 2011: Accepted on 23 May 2011
ABSTRACT
The Common Banded Awl, Hasora chromus is univalent and
seasonal and endangered in Southern Andhra Pradesh. It was on
wing from April to Nov and breeds almost with high frequency
during the periods of monsoon and post monsoon seasons. The
development from egg to adult was 18 – 24 days. There was no
dormant stage in the life history. Success development of egg,
larvae and pupae was 50 - 90 %, 50 – 80 % and 50 - 80 % during
the said period. Short life cycle and high success development of
life stages suggest the production of 8 - 9 broods in the season.
Nutritional indices growth rate (GR), consumption index (CI) and
approximate digestibility(AD) decreased as the larvae aged, while
those of efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD) and
efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) were increased.
Keywords: Hasora chromus, Life history, Nutritional indices,
Univalent, Population index.
INTRODUCTION
Butterflies offer nearly inexhaustible well of stimulating material for those
who are curious in carrying out applied and pure research (Matthews et al,1997 ).
The need for conservation of insects are increasing with each year, and the
butterflies are considered to be the important flag ships for insect conservation (New
et al, 1995, Smetacek, 1996 ). The rapid, bounding flight of these butterflies are
given them their name (Kehimkar, 2008). While most of these butterflies lay their
dome-shaped eggs singly, some species lay eggs in batches (Wiklund, 1984).The
success of such efforts requires sound knowledge of the biology and ecology of
butterflies. But such information is largely deficient for Indian butterflies (Gay et al,
1992).We describe here the ovipositing resources of adults, different life cycle
stages, population index and food energetics of the Common Banded Awl Hasora
chromus(Cramer).

2. P. Harinath, V. Prasanna Kumar and S.P.Venkata Ramana*
24
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study areas were searched for the reproductive activity of the Hasora
chromus was found laying eggs on Pongamia pinnata. The eggs with the leaf
material were brought to the laboratory and incubated and further development
stages were recorded and the success rates of hatching, larval and pupal
development was also recorded. Young leaves were supplied daily to growing larvae.
Particulars of the larval, pupal stages and the time of adult emergence were recorded
from close observations. Searches were made every month for recording the
different life stages – egg, larvae, and pupae on 100 plants of Pongamia pinnata to
work out the population index.
RESULTS
Oviposition host plants:
Hasora chromus largely located in places where damp patches near streams and
rivers and food plants are abundant. Adults are found laying eggs mostly after the
rainy seasons. The larvae are found in large number defoliating food plants.
Pongamia pinnata serves both as larval host plant and adult nectar host. It is also
seen feeding on Ricinus communis. They feed mostly on Pongamia pinnata than
Ricinus communis.
Morphology:
Adult: Hasora chromus was dimorphic and the wings of male are unmarked whereas
female having two pale yellow cresentic spots on the hind wing. There is a prominent
and narrow white to bluish white discal band partitioning the wing into an inner and
an outer half. The male having discal stigma on the forewing. They are common
during monsoon and immediate post monsoon months also seen on wing form April
to June.
Life history stages:
The eggs are laid singly or in small groups of 2-3 on young shoots. They are white
and bun shaped with a flatted base. Prominent ridges are present running from pole
to base. The entire egg turns pinky red as it develops and then decolourizes as the
caterpillar was ready to emerge. It takes 2 - 3 days for hatching. The first instar
larval body was typical cylindrical shape with yellowish brown body having a number
of short setae. The head was large, black in colour, slightly bilobed and highly hairy.
The dorsum of the pro thorax carries a dark coloured patch. It remains for 2 to 3
days grow to a length of 3.0 to 3.2 mm (3.0±.02). During the second instar the head
capsule and body are covered with short fine setae, with four faint whitish narrow
dorsal bands and one lateral band. It remains for 2 - 3 days and grows to a length of
about 5.0 to 5.5 mm (5.3±0.002). The third instar stage has more prominent dorsal
and lateral whitish bands. Numerous tiny lighter patches dotting the dark brown
surface with a narrow anal plate which was dark brown to black in colour could be
seen on posterior end. This instar lasts for 2 - 3 days grows to a length of 8.5 to 9.0
mm (8.7±0.005). At fourth instar the body turns to darker brown. The whitish setae
on the head capsule are proportionately much longer than in earlier instars. This
stage lasts for 1-2 days grows to a length of 12.0 to 13.50mm (13.0±0.005). In

3. ECOBIOLOGY OF THE COMMON BANDED AWL HASORA
CHROMUS(CRAMER)(LEPIDOPTERA:RHOPALOCERA: SATYRIDAE) FROM SOUTHERN ANDHRA
PRADESH
25
instar five the body colour was changed to dark shades of purplish brown to even
pinky brown above the lateral band. Several large dorso-lateral spots are also
present here. Narrow lateral band could be seen. The head capsule turns to pale
orange brown. It remains for 3 – 4 days and grows to a length up to 20.0 to 21.0
mm (20.5 ±0.002). The caterpillar gradually shrinks in length and decolorizes. It
turns to pale greenish. During early part of this stage, the caterpillar spins large
quantity of silk threads to seal the pupation shelter. It remains for 1 day and turns to
pupa. The pupa was green in colour with blunt end at the posterior end and anterior
end broad with a small rib on the top. The entire body covered with a white
substance and remains for 5 – 6 days to the adult to emerge. The entire life cycle
completes in 18 – 24 days.
Population index: (Fig.1)
The numerical frequency of the natural occurrence of the life stages – eggs, larvae
and pupae, on the host plant is given in figure- 1. All the stages could be spotted out
during August to November, which correspond post monsoon in the study locality.
However, there was a higher frequency of occurrence of the life stages during
September to November which corresponds with the post monsoon season.
Fig. 1 : Population index of eggs, larvae, pupae of Hasora chromus based on the
searches of 100 Pongamia pinnata plants.
Nutritional indices:-

4. P. Harinath, V. Prasanna Kumar and S.P.Venkata Ramana*
26
Quantitative data of food ingested, the faeces, weight gain by larvae, growth rate &
consumption index. The quantity of food consumed increased from instar to instar.
There was vast increase in the consumption of food from instar I to V. Regression of
weight gained by larva against the food consumed per day showed a straight line
relationship between these two variable with r value (r=0.99) and t value (t=2.212 )
at 0.01 level correlation (Fig.2).The weight gain increased from instar I to instar V.
The instar growth rate ( GR) & consumption index (CI)decreased respectively from
instar I to instar V.
The AD values decreased from Instar I to instar V , the ECD values & ECI
values showed a showed a similar pattern with an increase from instar I to V.
Table .1 : Food consumption of Hasora chromus larva on Pongamia pinnata leaves
Instar
No.
Weight of food
ingested (mg)
Wt. of faeces
(mg)
Wt. gain by larva
(mg)
I 15.0±0.28 0.4±0.01 1.2±0.06
II 136.0±0.40 0.06±0.12 13.5±0.18
III 502.5±4.50 16.2±0.20 60.0±0.24
IV 1052.5±8.5 128.5±0.82 152.5±0.90
V 2642±16.5 380.0±2.90 402.0±3.1
Fig. 2 : Relation between food consumption and larval growth in Banded Awl
1.00.75.50.250.00
1.00
.75
.50
.25
0.00
Larvalbodyweightmg/day
Total food consumed (mg/ day)

5. ECOBIOLOGY OF THE COMMON BANDED AWL HASORA
CHROMUS(CRAMER)(LEPIDOPTERA:RHOPALOCERA: SATYRIDAE) FROM SOUTHERN ANDHRA
PRADESH
27
DISCUSSION
The increasing food consumption at successive instars was in inverse
relationship with consumption index & growth rate. Both GR & CI decreased with the
age of larvae, the former from a high of 0.75 to 0.262 the later from a high of 7.45
to 0.80. The valves of CI are with the range 0.31-6.60 predicated for tree foliage
chewers (Scriber and Slansky, 1981). Food consumption rate depends on the
conversion efficiency of ingested food to biomass (ECI), the rate increasing as the
conversion efficiency decrease or vice versa (Slansky and Scriber, 1985) and high CI
valve of instar I is due to conversion efficiency and this character is reflected in the
low valve of ECI of instar I compared to other successive instars .
Table.2 : Food utilization effeciences of Hasora chromus larva on Pongamia pinnata
leaves.
The AD values decreased from instar I to V. The highest being associated
instar I (96%). The average AD% is 90 and these high AD substantiate the
statement of Slansky & Scriber (1985) that foliage chewers often attain high AD
values. Such high AD values also are expected when food item was rich in water tree
foliage (Pandian & Marion 1986).
The values of food ECD increase from early to late instars (Slansky and
Scriber, 1985). Such trend was broadly apparent with the ECD. This was indicative of
low efficiency of conversion of digested food to body tissues. There was no trend of
increase or decrease in ECI values suggested by Slansky & Scriber (1985). The
values of ECI may increase, decrease or show little changes depending on the extent
to which the changes in AD and ECD compensate each other. The ECI values in the
present study varied from 6.0 to 13.0. They showed a continuous increase from first
Instar
No
GR
(mg/day/mg)
CI
(mg/day/mg)
AD
%
ECD
%
ECI
%
I 0.75 7.45 96 70 6.0
II 0.52 2.20 97 11.0 10.0
III 0.35 3.20 87 11.5 11.0
IV 0.27 1.60 86 15.5 12.5
V 0.26 0.80 86 16.0 13.0

6. P. Harinath, V. Prasanna Kumar and S.P.Venkata Ramana*
28
instar to fifth instar. These values are within the range of 9 – 34% reported for forb
foliage and grass chewing Lepidoptera respectively (Slansky and Scriber ,1985)
The total period of development from egg to emergence of adult was
estimated to be 18 - 24 days. This was a relatively short period and may enable the
butterfly to have 8 -9 broods yearly (Kunte, 2000, Gunathilagaraj,1998). During this
period laboratory study of hatching success rate ranged between 50 – 90% larval
development success rate between 50 – 80%, pupal development success between
50 – 80%. With the three life cycle stages there was a higher success rate between
Septembers to November.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Corresponding author greatly acknowledge to CSIR, New Delhi for
financial support through a major research project.
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7. ECOBIOLOGY OF THE COMMON BANDED AWL HASORA
CHROMUS(CRAMER)(LEPIDOPTERA:RHOPALOCERA: SATYRIDAE) FROM SOUTHERN ANDHRA
PRADESH
29
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