Informatics Publishing Limited

Chitra Shanker ¹, M. Sampathkumar ², V. Sunil ¹, S. Amudhan ¹, G. Sravanthi ³, B. Jhansirani ⁴, J. Poorani ⁵, Gururaj Katti ¹

Affiliations
1 ICAR - Indian Institute of Rice Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad - 500030, Telangana, IN
2 ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Hebbala, Bengaluru - 560024, Karnataka, IN
3 Mango Research Station, Nuzvid - 521201, Dr YSR Horticultural University, Andhra Pradesh, IN
4 ICAR - Indian Institute of Rice Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad - 500030, Telangana,, IN
5 ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Thayanur post, Tiruchirapalli - 620102, Tamil Nadu, IN

Abstract

Coccinellid species belonging to fifteen genera, under five tribes of the family Coccinellidae were collected and identified in this study. Harmonia (Fab.) was the most predominant in southern regions and Coccinella septumpunctata L. was more abundant in the northern and hill regions. Margalef richness index ranged from 9.07 to 14.00 while the species richness directly measured by Hills number H0 ranged from 5-10, with highest species richness present at Malan, Himachal Pradesh. The highest predation was observed in female H. octomaculata which fed on a maximum of 8.00, 7.42 and 6.59 brown planthopper (BPH), WBPH white backed planthopper (WBPH) and green leafhopper (GLH) respectively per day, while the lowest was observed in Propylea dissecta which fed on 3.18 to 4.50 hoppers per day. Coccinellids like H. octomaculata can be utilized in biological control programmes as a part of Integrated Pest Management to reduce pest outbreaks.

Keywords

Biodiversity, BPH, Coccinellids, Predatory Potential, Rice, WBPH.

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