Egg-Laying Behavior of Pheosia albivertex on Populus alba in natural habitat

This study investigates the egg-laying behavior of the moth Pheosia albivertex (Hampson 1983) (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) on the host plant Populus alba (Salicaceae) in its natural habitat in Deyanguchey village of Kargil Ladakh, India. Previously reported findings indicated clustered egg-laying in a controlled environment. Our observations reveal that in the wild, females lay eggs singly, with a maximum of five eggs per leaf. This deviation may be influenced by the availability of suitable oviposition sites.