Jasmine is a well-renowned flower around the world especially in the tropics because of its unique fragrance. Jasminum sambac, Jasminum auriculatum, Jasminum grandiflorum, and Jasminum nitidum are the four cultivable species of Jasminum. Blossom midge, Contarinia maculipennis Felt (Cecidomyiidae, Diptera), a dipteran pest, has attained the status of a major pest causing severe economic loss by reducing the marketable quality of the flowers. To compare the lifecycle of the notorious midge in all the cultivable Jasminum species, a detailed laboratory study was conducted at the Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India. The observations on life cycle parameters of blossom midge, C. maculipennis, revealed that the life cycle consists of egg, maggot, pupa, and adult. The life cycle and duration of each stage are found to be the shortest on J. nitidum and the longest on J. sambac.
Part of the book: Life Cycle and Development of Diptera