Effect of abiotic factors in termination of diapause of Pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

The relationship of temperature and photoperiod was studied under laboratory conditions relative to termination of diapause in Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders). For this experiment two different photoperiods (12 and 16 h) each at two different temperature regimes (25 and 35oC) regimes at 70% RH were maintained in walk in growth chamber to study the effect of all these stimuli on the termination of diapause in the pink bollworm. When temperature and photoperiod was increased from 25° C to 35° C and 12 h to 16 h respectively, the diapause terminated more rapidly, which signify that the atmospheric temperature and photoperiod has significant role in the diapause behavior of pink bollworm.