Journal of Applied Entomologist

Ecological parameters affecting density of some insect pests and associated predators on Phaseolus vulgaris plants

Hamzah M. Kamel, Amaya A. Khalifa — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This investigation was carried out to evaluate the population dynamics of Aphis craccivora and Ophiomyia phaseoli on common bean Phaseolus vulgaris with regard to their natural enemies at Giza Governorate, Egypt. A. craccivora and O. phaseoli were two economic pests on the main crops in the agricultural fields of El- Mansuryia, village- Giza Governorate.

The findings showed that during two seasons (2020/21 and 2021/22), 6 insect pests belonging to 5 families under 4 orders and 2predators were surveyed. They were; Aphis craccivora, Order: Hemiptera: Aphididae, Ophiomyia phaseoli, Order: Diptera: Agromyzidae, Thrips tabaci, Order: Thysanoptera: Thripidae, Bemisia tabaci, Order: Diptera: Aleyrodidae, Melanogromyza phaseoli Order: Diptera: Agromyzidae as insect pests and Spodoptera litoralis, Order:Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, as insect visitors. However, Coccinella undecimpunctata Order: Coleoptera: Coccinellidae and Chrysoperla carnea Order: Neuroptera: Chrysopidae as a predator. The effect of daily max., Temp., daily min. Temp., and rang R.H%, plant age and other ecological parameters on population fluctuation of A. craccivora and O. phaseoli were tested. These two pests A.craccivora and O. phaseoli had three peaks during 1^st and 2^nd seasons. The mean numbers of tested insect pests were higher during second season than the first season. The first appearance of A. craccivora and O. phaseoli was at the 4^th week of December, late January and 1^st March in two successive years, these insects are dangerous insect pests in common bean plants fields. The combination effect of climatic factors, plant age and natural enemies on A. craccivora and O.phaseoli population fluctuation was presented as explained variance which was 81 and 89% of A. craccivora and 83 and 73% of O. phaseoli in the first and second seasons, respectively.

A preliminary survey of arthropods in organic and inorganic paddy fields in Cheranmahadevi Taluk, Tamil Nadu, India

Sivanesh H, Augustus Robince, Azhagu Raj R — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

India has a primarily agrarian economy. Agriculture contributes around 16-17% to the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country. In this study, conducted in rice fields at Pappakudi (8°45'44"N, and 77°30'59"E) and Odaikarai-Thulukapatti (8°46'52"N, and 77°31'01"E) Cheranmahadevi Taluk, Tirunelveli District in Tamil Nadu, India, arthropods were collected from the study area and classified. This collection was done using the roving survey method, and relative abundance percentage composition was analysed. The order Hymenoptera emerged as the most diverse group of beneficial insects in both organic and inorganic fields, notably ants and honey bees. Order Orthoptera, including grasshoppers, had the highest count of 27.7%. The Chrysomelid beetle was completely absent in the organic fields. The ant family Formicidae and the butterfly family Lycaenidae were not found in the inorganic fields. Both agricultural practices exhibited low counts of families and genera in the orders Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) and Araneae (spiders). This study shows diverse arthropods damaging or benefiting paddy on organic and inorganic farms. Compositional analysis revealed differences in the presence and abundance of certain insect families among these two farming practices.

Exploration of attractants with different trap designs and lure mixtures for effective capturing of Bactrocera spp (Diptera: Tephritidae) in mango orchards of Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, India

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The study aimed to investigate the efficacy of various attractants, trap designs, and lure mixtures for capturing Bactrocera spp in mango orchards of Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India. Bactrocera spp, commonly known as fruit flies, pose a significant threat to mango cultivation by causing extensive damage to fruit quality and yield. This research, conducted in different mango orchards of various places viz; Behat, Nakur and Sadholi Qadeem of Saharanpur district, examined the impact of different lure mixtures in baited traps on the attraction of fruit flies, particularly Bactrocera zonata and Bactrocera dorsalis, to develop efficient and sustainable strategies for fruit fly management in these regions. The research into the fusion of various traps and lures to attract fruit flies of genus Bactrocera has revealed an intriguing interplay of attractants. The findings demonstrated that lure mixtures in baited traps influence the attraction of fruit flies in a species-specific manner, with different species exhibiting varying levels of attraction to different lure mixtures. Notably, the most attractive lure mixture varied among the species, underscoring the need for species-specific considerations in integrated pest management programs. A total of 3780 and 2129 flies were captured for a research period of 17 weeks during the year 2023 for B. dorsalis and B. zonata respectively. It was observed that most of the fruit flies were attracted towards the cylindrical traps possessed with methyl eugenol lure followed by a mixture of methyl eugenol and cue lure. These results shed light on the potential for optimizing bait mixtures based on the relative abundance and economic impact of different fruit fly species, offering valuable insights for local fruit fly pest control programs. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of future research aimed at refining lure mixtures to match specific kairomone emissions and maximize attractiveness across all targeted species.

First distributional record of ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Botanical Garden, Puducherry, India

Gowri K, Sankaraiyah K — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The current study examines the ant distribution at the Botanical Garden in the Union Territory of Puducherry, India, as there are still no prior ant diversity reports from this site. Ant community is an essential unit of any ecosystem because they serve as ecosystem engineers. But the field of myrmecology has received very little attention in India. During the investigation, 12 ant species from four subfamilies were identified, including Myrmicinae, Ponerinae, Formicinae, and Pseudomyrmicinae. This work is the first report on the distribution of ant species from this location.

Host deprivation effects on the reproduction and survival of the parasitoid Campoletis chlorideae Uchida (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

Amarendra Kumar Pandey — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The ichneumonid Campoletis chlorideae Uchida is an arrhenotokous idiobiont parasitoid that infests second instar larvae of the pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), a severe pest of pulse crops in India. For successful biocontrol practices, abundant hosts must be present in fields at the time of the mass release of parasitoids. Host deprivation, in general, influences the reproduction and survival of parasitoids. However, how host deprivation affects the reproduction and survival of C. chlorideae is still unknown. In the present study, we attempted to evaluate the longevity, fecundity and progeny sex ratio of C. chlorideae in response to host deprivation. The second instar larvae of the H. armigera were reared on an artificial diet under laboratory conditions [22±4°C, 70±10% RH and 10:14 h (L:D) photo-period] and exposed as host to newly emerged mated female C. chlorideae deprived of hosts for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 days and entire life (for longevity only).

A preliminary study of moth species of verna

Dafilgo Fernandes — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Insect studies based on their diversity and ecological distribution in Goa are rare and can help us understand the differences in biodiversity within the region. Goa is a tropical region that is part of the Western Ghats hotspot, but there is paucity of literature on insects especially moth species, in this region. A moth survey was conducted during the monsoon season to observe moth species over a period of several months in Verna village in the southern part of Goa. The current exploration is the first report of moth observations on the Sal River in the Verna residential area. A total of 193 moth species were identified. Based on the number of species, the family Erebidae was the most dominant with 61 species, followed by Crambidae with 42 species, Noctuidae with 26 species, Geometridae with 19 species and Sphingidae with 5 species. The least dominant were Nolidae, Zygaenidae and Pterophoridae with 4 species each. Moth diversity and abundance in Verna is highest during the monsoon and is directly dependent on rainfall, probably because it stimulates the growth of various plant species on which moth larvae feed. This moth species in this discovery contributes significantly to the moth ecology in Verna, expanding the list of known moth species and furthering our understanding of their ecological role in the ecosystems of Goa.