author(s)
VK Bhamare, RD Dhembare, AS Ingale, KV Deshmukh and SH Shelke

abstract
The investigations conducted at Research Farm of Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Latur (VNKMV, Parbhani) during kharif-2017 revealed that Thysanoplusia orichalcea (Fabricius) and Mocis undata (Fabricius) were major semilooper pests observed on sunflower and sunflower intercropped with pigeonpea. The peak population of T. orichalcea was exhibited on sole sunflower and sunflower intercropped with pigeonpea during 35^th (3.2 larvae per quadrat) and 34^th SMW (2.6 larvae per quadrat), respectively. The larval population T. orichalcea infesting sole sunflower indicated a positive correlation with rainfall, maximum temperature and beforenoon relative humidity, whereas number of rainy days showed negative correlation with larval population. T. orichalcea larval population infesting sunflower intercropped with pigeonpea demonstrated a positive correlation with rainfall and afternoon relative humidity while, negative correlation with number of rainy days. The population of M. undata reached to its peak on sole sunflower and sunflower intercropped with pigeonpea during 33^th (1.6 larvae per quadrat) and 31^st SMW (1.0 larva per quadrat), respectively. The larval population of M. undata infesting sole sunflower indicated a positive correlation with rainfall and beforenoon relative humidity, whereas number of rainy days, minimum temperature and afternoon relative humidity showed negative correlation with larval population. The larval population of M. undata infesting sunflower intercropped with pigeonpea evidenced a positive correlation with rainy days and minimum temperature while, negative correlation with rainfall, beforenoon and afternoon relative humidity.