Browsing by Author "Ankit Upadhyay"

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Ageing and mating status affect food utilization efficiencies and assimilation of macronutrients in adults of Parthenium beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2024) Priyanka Yadav; Priya Patel; Arvind Kumar Patel; Ritabrata Chowdhury; Ankit Upadhyay; Bhupendra Kumar; Dinesh Kumar
Investigations of age-based food conversion and utilization efficiencies in phytophagous insects are very few. Studies examining the effects of age, sex and mating status on biochemical assimilation of macronutrients by phytophagous insects are scarce as well. Hence, we designed the present study to evaluate the combined effect of age, sex and mating status on food consumption and utilization efficiencies, and the assimilation of macronutrients by the Parthenium beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), on the invasive weed, Parthenium hysterophorus Linnaeus (Asterales: Asteraceae). We hypothesized that mated adults would consume and utilize more food than unmated adults, that assimilation of nutrients by old adults would be lower than young adults and that females would consume and utilize food more efficiently than males. However, our results revealed that as adults aged, their food consumption and utilization efficiencies decreased, and they assimilated less proteins and glucose in their body. Despite that, their mean body biomass and assimilation of triglycerides increased. While mated adults had higher food utilization efficiencies and increased assimilation of triglycerides and glucose, unmated adults assimilated more proteins. Females had higher food consumption rates and increased assimilation of nutrients, whereas males had higher food conversion efficiencies and growth rates. Furthermore, middle-aged adults had higher food utilization efficiencies and they assimilated more nutrients than young and old adults. Our results therefore suggest compensatory feeding in adults of Z. bicolorata with ageing. We also recommend the release of more numbers of mated middle-aged females to control P. hysterophorus in agro-ecosystems. © 2024 Royal Entomological Society.
Temperature modulates feeding attributes, biochemical assimilation of macronutrients and rate of development in larvae of Parthenium beetles
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2025) Priya Patel; Arvind Kumar Patel; Priyanka Yadav; Ankit Upadhyay; Bhupendra Kumar; Dinesh Suresh Kumar
The present study assessed the feeding efficiency, macronutrient assimilation and larval development of the Parthenium beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister, a biocontrol agent for the invasive Parthenium weed, under varying temperature conditions. We hypothesized that deviations from the optimal temperature (~25°C) would impair larval feeding efficiency due to temperature-induced stress. Our results revealed that both larval consumption and growth rates declined at temperatures below (15°C, 20°C) and above (30°C) the optimal temperature (25°C). In contrast, food conversion efficiency improved as temperatures increased from 15 to 30°C. Protein assimilation by larvae decreased across the temperature range, while glucose assimilation increased. Triglyceride assimilation initially decreased from 15 to 20°C/25°C but increased from 20°C/25°C to 30°C. As temperatures increased from 15 to 30°C, both the body size and developmental durations of larvae decreased. These findings suggest that Z. bicolorata larvae adopt different survival strategies depending on temperature conditions. At suboptimal temperatures, larvae grow larger, assimilate more proteins and triglycerides, but consume and utilize food more slowly. Conversely, at supraoptimal temperatures, larvae exhibit reduced body size and food consumption rates, but their food utilization efficiency improves, leading to faster development. Therefore, both low and high temperatures could limit the biocontrol efficiency of Z. bicolorata larvae in the Indian subcontinent. © 2025 Royal Entomological Society.