author(s)
Santhi Madhavan Samyuktha, Sheela Venugopal, Adhimoolam Karthikeyan, Chocklingam Vanniarajan, Natesan Senthil, Sundarrajan Juliet Hepziba and Devarajan Malarvizhi

abstract
Mungbean serves as an excellent source of high quality protein in the form of dry edible seeds and fresh sprouts. The most devastating primary storage pest of mungbean is bruchids that make the seeds unsuitable for consumption and agricultural uses. Studies were carried out on the biology and extent of damage caused by a pair of Callosobruchus maculatus in five mungbean varieties viz., CO 6, CO 7, CO 8, VBN 2 and VBN 3 under laboratory conditions which almost resembled the storage environment. Significant differences were observed among the varieties in fecundity, adult emergence, mean developmental period, seed damage and weight loss. Based on the percent adult emergence and mean developmental period, CO 7, CO 8 and VBN 3 were categorized as susceptible varieties and CO 6 and VBN 2 were categorized as highly susceptible varieties. Number of eggs laid per female varied from 54.4 – 69.0 eggs with significantly lower hatching percentage in VBN 3. Adult emergence was also significantly lower in VBN 3 (94.31%) with significantly higher mean developmental period (25.11 days) and low female to male ratio of 0.78. Percent seed damage was lowest in CO 8 (51.8%) and percent weight loss is lowest in VBN 3 (37.13%). These observations would be helpful in choosing desirable donor in back cross breeding programme to design a resistant genotype for pulse beetle, C. maculatus.