Temperature‐Dependent Development Model for Male and Female Pupae of <i>Chilo partellus</i> (Swinhoe)

ABSTRACT Temperature‐dependent development of male and female pupae of Chilo partellus was evaluated at seven constant temperatures ranging from 5°C to 35°C. Development of C. partellus pupae completely arrested at 5°C and 35°C. The duration of the pupal developmental period was short and the developmental rate faster in both male and female pupae with an increase in temperature from 10°C to 30°C. Percent emergence of male and female adults also increased from 10°C to 25°C, and declined thereafter at 30°C. Several phenological parameters were assessed by fitting the development rate data to two linear and seven non‐linear models. Ikemoto and Takai model accurately computed the lower thermal thresholds as 10.20°C and 10.38°C, and thermal constants as 328.2° and 395.28°‐days for male and female pupae, respectively. The Lactin‐2 non‐linear model was considered best, as it estimated thermal thresholds ( T min , T max and T opt ) similar to those of the observed values. Analytis model also computed the accurate estimations of T max and T opt , but failed to compute the correct estimations of T min . In a nutshell, Ikemoto and Takai and Lactin‐2 are useful and effective models for describing temperature‐dependent development and estimating the temperature thresholds of male and female pupae of C. partellus .