Journal of Biological Control

Evaluation of release methods of egg parasitoid, Telenomus remus against Spodoptera litura in tobacco crop

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0530

Spodoptera litura is a major pest of tobacco crop in China. The long-term chemical application not only failed to control it but also had a severe impact on the environment. To study the inoculative field release methods of Telenomus remus about release factors, the egg mass of S. litura as the main method was chosen. Here, we aimed to explore the optimal proportion, device type, time, density and diffusion distance by highlighting the parasitic rate, rate of emergence and sex ratio of T. remus. We found that the highest parasitism rate was obtained 77.95, 71.68, 67.61 and 57.87% for ratio (wasps/hosts 1:10), days (within 1 day), egg age (within 0 hours), and dispersal distance (within 5 m), respectively. The highest emergence rate of T. remus (96.38%) was observed when the parasitized eggs were placed in transparent perforated plastic bottles. The blue and yellow sticky cards placed in the lower part of tobacco leaves had the least effect on the diffusion of T. remus, only stacked by 14 and 15 individuals respectively; along with the lowest feeding rate by Nesidiocoris tenuis (28.73%), which was observed on egg mass covered by scale layer. From the perspective of high production and low-cost technology, we conclude that these findings will establish a robust groundwork for deploying T. remus in heavy infested areas of S. litura for its management.

Efficacy of Beauveria bassiana and Trichoderma viride against Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on tomato plants

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0530

Bemisia tabaci poses a major threat to tomato crops, causing significant yield losses and economic damage to farmers. This study investigates the conidia filtration method as a potential management strategy for B. tabaci under greenhouse conditions. Evaluating the efficacy of this approach in controlling the whitefly population while potentially promoting plant growth is crucial for developing sustainable solutions for tomato production. Both Trichoderma viride and Beauveria bassiana fungi effectively killed adult whiteflies in this study, significantly exceeding the untreated control. Beauveria bassiana showed slightly higher mortality rates at all time points, achieving a maximum of 69.47% compared to T. viride’s 62.22% after 14 days. Trichoderma viride and Beauveria bassiana significantly stimulated plant growth compared to the untreated control. However, T. viride emerged as the superior growth promoter across all assessed parameters: plant height, fresh weight, and dry weight. It achieved the tallest plants (27.31 cm), exceeding both the control and B. bassiana. Similarly, its impact on fresh and dry weight surpassed both the control and B. bassiana, reaching respective values of 14.21 and 2.83 g. These findings suggest that T. viride holds greater potential as a plant growth promoter under the examined conditions.

Record of natural enemies of invasive fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in fodder maize ecosystem in Goa

R. MARUTHADURAI, CHANNABASAVA VEERSHETTY (Author) — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0530

Fall Armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), a recent invasive pest, poses a serious threat to maize production and productivity in India. Very little information is available on FAW indigenous natural enemies in authors are ecosystems. Hence, the present study assessed and documented the native natural enemies of FAW in the fodder maize ecosystem of Goa. Under field conditions, various life stages of FAW were attacked by 22 species of native natural enemies comprising two egg parasitoids, five larval parasitoids, eleven predators, and four entomopathogens. The field egg parasitism of Trichogramma chilonis Ishii and Telenomus remus Nixon was 13.90% and 29.37%, respectively. Among the egg parasitoids, T. remus was the dominant one. With a parasitism rate of 6.58%, Campoletis chlorideae Uchida was the most prevalent larval parasitoid. Eleven different species of predators were found predating on FAW. Among the predators, the rove beetle, Paederus fuscipes Curtis was the most abundant, with 1-2 adults per plant. Four entomopathogens viz., Metarhizium rileyi (Farlow), Bacillus sp., Spodoptera frugiperda nuclear polyhedrosis virus, and entomopathogenic nematode, Hexamermis sp. were found infecting the FAW larvae. The present study reports the indigenous natural enemies associated with FAW in fodder maize. These native natural enemies must be conserved and exploited for the biological control of FAW.

Studies on natural enemies associated with pod fly, Melanagromyza obtusa (Malloch) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) on pigeonpea and their correlation with weather parameters

MANOJ KUMAR SINGH, SUNIL KUMAR DWIVEDI, JATINDER SINGH (Author) — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0530

The current study shows the presence of two major hymenopteran parasitoids viz., Euderus lividus (Ashmead) and Ormyrus orientalis (Walker) on the pigeonpea major pest, Melanagromyza obtusa (Malloch). The major activity of the pigeonpea pest started with the inception of pod formation and sustained at different levels, throughout the crop’s reproductive cycle. The first appearance of M. obtusa larvae and pupa was observed in the 41^st Standard Meteorological Week (SMW). The maximum larval and pupal populations of 52.00 and 49.00 per 100 pods were noticed in the 44^th and 50^th SMW. The parasitism level of E. lividus and O. orientalis declined from 31.82 to 10.53% in the 46^th to 52^nd SMW and 25.64 to 3.22% in the 47^th to 1^st SMW. Analysis of the correlation between weather parameters with pod fly larvae and pupae showed that the larval population exhibited a significant positive correlation with maximum temperature (r = 0.646*) while the pupal population showed a non-significant positive correlation with maximum temperature (0.198). These findings provide important insights into the host preferences and effectiveness of these parasitoids, providing essential knowledge for potential use in biological control strategies against agricultural pests.

Diversity of coccinellid beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in agricultural fields of northern Kerala, India

G. GOKUL, C. V. VIDYA, HASEENA BHASKAR, K. M. SREEKUMAR (Author) — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0530

Coccinellidae is a diverse and species-rich family that includes predaceous, phytophagous and mycophagous insects, which are significant to agriculture. This study aimed to estimate the diversity of coccinellids and document their associated prey in agricultural fields of northern Kerala, India and to generate DNA barcodes for the species collected during the study. Twenty-seven species under seven tribes were reported in this study, which includes three phytophagous, two mycophagous and 22 predaceous beetles. The information on prey species and/or host plants of the beetles are given furnished. Diversity indices of coccinellids across different agroecological zones and crops of northern Kerala were estimated. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I sequences of 18 species were generated and phylogenetic analysis was carried out. Coccinellini was recorded as the predominant tribe of Coccinellidae in northern Kerala. High hills were found to be the most diverse agroecological zone for Coccinellidae, whereas plantation crops and vegetables were the most diverse crop ecosystems.

Impact of diet composition of Corcyra cephalonica (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on the development and reproduction of Trichogramma chilonis (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0530

Utilizing parasitoids for augmentative biological control frequently depends on the physiological state of the parasitoids and the pest population density at the time of release. Trichogramma chilonis Ishii (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) is commonly used as an egg parasitoid for biological insect pest control via augmentation and field release. A crucial component of mass production programmes is the host’s nutritional compatibility. So, the investigations were carried out to study the effect of diet composition of Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on developmental and reproductive parameters of Trichogramma chilonis Ishii. The T. chilonis was reared on Corcyra cephalonica fed on different diets (D₁-D₇) in the laboratory at 25℃±1℃ with 75±5% RH. Based on pooled data of two generations T. chilonis had shown significantly highest parasitization of 85.80%, adult emergence percentage 75.00% and sex-ratio 1.62:1 on rice moth eggs obtained from Maize (48.5%) + Sorghum (48.5%) + Groundnut (3%) diet (D₅). Trichogramma adult’s emergence was observed earlier (3.10 days) on the host’s eggs reared on the Bajra (100%) diet (D₁). In case of adult longevity, the maximum longevity of 7.70 days was recorded on the host’s egg obtained from the D₅ diet over the others. These findings may help to improve the developmental and reproductive performance of T. chilonis and an optimized D₅ diet may be useful for mass rearing of this egg parasitoid.

Tephritid diversity under terai agro ecological region of West Bengal

TANGELLA MEGHANA, NRIPENDRA LASKAR (Author) — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0530

A study was conducted from 2020-2021 to identify the tephritid species in fields of Pumpkin, Bottle gourd, Mango, Guava, Ber and Citrus. Through Methyl Eugenol traps, two species namely Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) and Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) were collected. Through cue-lure traps, six species namely Zeugodacus tau (Walker), Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coq.), Bactrocera rubigina (Wang and Zhao), Zeugodacus caudatus (Fabricus), Bactrocera divenderi Maneesh, Hancock and Prabhakar and Dacus longicornis (Wiedemann) were collected. Four species namely Zeugodacus tau (Walker), Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coq.), Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) and Bactrocera minax (Enderlein) were recovered from infested fruits of pumpkin, bottle gourd, cucumber, ber and citrus. According to the Shannor-Weiner Diversity Index, species diversity was maximum in pumpkin among different fields and maximum in ber from infested fruits. Understanding the species diversity and determination in a crop ecosystem aid in strategising the management options. Clumped distribution was observed in several fields.

A comprehensive review of Chelonus s. str. Panzer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Cheloninae) with a special reference to the species associated with fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0530

The genus Chelonus s. str. (Chelonus) Panzer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Cheloninae) is reviewed with particular focus on species associated with fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Additionally, information on the biology and various mass-rearing techniques of the enumerated species are furnished, underlining their significance in biological control and integrated pest management strategies.

Record of aphidophagous syrphids with their prey and host plants in India: A review

MD. EQUBAL AHMAD, KIMMI KUMARI (Author) — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0530

The article deals with the association of aphidophagous syrphids with their prey species and their host plants for programming the biocontrol approach against aphid pests. Aphids are tiny sap-sucking bugs and they are important phytophagous pests due to their polymorphism and rapid increase of their numbers by parthenogenetic development. Larvae of syrphids are the most important natural enemies of several sap-sucking insects and are useful bioagents in biological control programmes. After reviewing many articles 49 species of syrphids are recognised as predators of 72 aphid species infesting more than 141 plants of different families. Among these syrphids, Episyrphus balteatus was reported as a predator on maximum number of aphid species (43 species) followed by Ischiodon scutellaris (34 species), Eupeodes confrater (20 species), Betasyrphus serarius (18 species), Paragus serratus (17 species), and Allograpta javana (12 species).

An overview of trends in pest management and the need for a paradigm shift in technologies for the progression of entomopathogenic nematodes in managing crop health

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0530

Global pesticide usage is 3.5 million tonnes at an average of 1.81kg/ha, while Indian usage is at 55,000 metric tonnes (2023) with an average of 0.517kg/ha. Compared to the pesticide market, the Indian biopesticide market remains small- cumulative annual biopesticide production at 9000 metric tonnes and a growth rate of 3-5% in consumption which is projected to reach a CGR of 8-10% by 2030. The utilization of biopesticides amounts to approximately 9% of overall pesticide use and is projected to increase to 50% of the total pesticide market by 2050. Among several microbial biocontrol agents, Entomopathogenic Nematodes (EPN) has been realised to be dependable IPM component against several insect pests. EPNs are soil-inhabiting beneficial nematodes that parasitize and kill insect pests, with immense potential for ecological services making them valuable tools in IPM. Worldwide, the demand for the development of EPN-containing products is mounting with several companies involved in their production, distribution and sales. India’s estimated demand for EPN is 24,000 metric tonnes, while the current production is 1800 metric tonnes from 25-30 firms. In India and other developing countries, the current EPN production and supply chain are in their infancy and operate as a cottage industry. The market is flourishing with products that are spurious, expensive, and unregulated due to the wide gap between demand and availability of EPN products. The authors present an overview of the status and prospects of EPN as an IPM component, contemporary and futuristic issues for the transformation of the upcoming EPN industry to a self-reliant, self-sufficient and profitable enterprise and accomplish better uptake of EPN individually or in IPM.

Journal of Biological Control

Evaluation of release methods of egg parasitoid, Telenomus remus against Spodoptera litura in tobacco crop

Efficacy of Beauveria bassiana and Trichoderma viride against Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on tomato plants

Record of natural enemies of invasive fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in fodder maize ecosystem in Goa

Studies on natural enemies associated with pod fly, Melanagromyza obtusa (Malloch) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) on pigeonpea and their correlation with weather parameters

Diversity of coccinellid beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in agricultural fields of northern Kerala, India

Impact of diet composition of Corcyra cephalonica (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on the development and reproduction of Trichogramma chilonis (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Tephritid diversity under terai agro ecological region of West Bengal

A comprehensive review of Chelonus s. str. Panzer (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Cheloninae) with a special reference to the species associated with fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Record of aphidophagous syrphids with their prey and host plants in India: A review

An overview of trends in pest management and the need for a paradigm shift in technologies for the progression of entomopathogenic nematodes in managing crop health