Impact of Herbicides on Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata and their Compatability for Integrated Control of Chromolaena odorata

Chromolaena odorata (L.) King and Robinson, a plant of Neotropical origin is Considered as a serious weed of plantation crops,forests and grazing lands of South Asian and African countries, including India (Holms et al., 1977). Field releases of the exotic host-specific biological control agent Pareuchaetes pseudoinsulata Rego Barros (Lepidoptera : Arctiidae) in different parts of South India, resulted in only localised defoliation (Jayanth and Ganga Visalakshy, 1993), necessitating manual and chemical methods even in areas where the insects were released. A study on the effect of herbicides on the insect was made under laboratory conditions, to see if both can be integrated.