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Green spaces in urban areas, such as parks and gardens, provide recreational, social, and health benefits for more than half of the world's inhabitants. Arthropods in urban vegetation may cause some disruption to humans but also provide vital ecological services such as biological control and pollination. However, little is known about the ecology of urban pests, their natural enemies, and how to manage them in an ecofriendly manner, especially in Southern Europe. In this review article, we consider the information available concerning the biological control of aphids in the urban green areas of Spain, mainly focusing on the different aphid species, their natural enemies (and how to enhance them), and the sampling methods used to study them. A wide range of aphid species is found in Spain, but only a few are responsible for the majority of damage (so-called k-aphids, most of which are holocyclic species), and these show two distinct injury profiles (short and long) that determine monitoring and control strategies. Urban aphids have numerous natural enemies, including more than 20 species of ladybeetles, as well as predatory hoverflies, midges, lacewings, bugs, and other groups. More than 40 species of aphid parasitoids and their tritrophic aphid plant associations have been reported. The availability and usefulness of commercially reared aphid natural enemies is discussed, and two methods to enhance natural enemies are described. We also review aphid sampling methods developed for urban green spaces. The studies provide basic information on the ecology of aphids to support conservation biological control as a reliable strategy in the urban green areas of Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine the feeding performance of grubs and adults of Brumoides suturalis (Fabricius) on the cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley. The experiments were conducted in the laboratory at 25.0±1.0°C temperature, 65±5% R.H., and a 14L:10D photoperiod with ten replicates under unstarved and starved conditions. When unstarved, the first instar grub, second instar grub, third instar grub, fourth instar grub, adult male, and adult female ingested at an average of 8.5±0.26, 12.6±0.33, 19.1±0.48, 38.2±0.60, 28.0±0.29, and 33.4±0.74 mealybugs/insect/day, respectively. When exposed to starvation for 2 hours prior to the experiment, the mean consumption of the first instar grub, second instar grub, third instar grub, fourth instar grub, adult male, and adult female was recorded to be 9.2±0.09, 13.3±0.31, 20.1±0.42, 40.5±0.34, 30.0±0.50, and 34.3±0.25 mealybugs/insect/day, respectively. The study subsequently revealed that the fourth instar grub of B. suturalis is a voracious feeder of cotton mealybug, exhibiting the highest feeding potential among all the developmental stages. An adult female indicated higher feeding performance over the adult male. The starved grubs and adults consumed a higher number of mealybugs than unstarved or well-fed grubs and adults of B. suturalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigates the population dynamics of whitefly Bemisia tabaci and its natural enemies on cotton cultivars. The study examines the population of whitefly adults and maximum parasitization of whitefly nymphs in Desi, American and Bt cotton cultivars, as well as its natural enemies, predators like coccinellids and spiders. It evaluates the influence of weather patterns including maximum and minimum temperature and wind velocity on whitefly buildup.

Recent developments in insect science and technology and integrated pest management (IPM) are laying a concrete path for transition from the dreaded chemical-based pest management to biological and biorational-based methods. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) play an important role in host plant–herbivore–natural enemy interactions and have the potential to enhance the effectiveness of biological and biorational-based controls for integrated pest management (IPM). Synthetic HIPV blends can potentially improve the foraging behavior of predators by attracting them. This study was conducted to explore the emission of plant volatiles under infestation by cotton aphids, Aphis gossypii Glover, and their influence on attraction response of predatory six-spotted ladybird beetle, Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fab.). Cotton leaf extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and the response of C. sexmaculata to the various extracts was assessed with a Y-tube olfactometer. By comparing the volatile profile of aphid-infested leaf extract with that of uninfested leaf extract, three compounds, namely 3-carene, pentadecane, and α-linolenic acid, were identified as aphid-induced HIPVs. However, the abundance of the other three compounds, heptane, 3-hexenal, and α-copaene significantly increased upon aphid infestation. At a concentration of 5%, aphid-infested leaf extract had the greatest effect on both female (85.9 ± 7.6%) and male (80.9 ± 6.4%) beetles. These results confirmed that HIPVs induced by aphids in cotton could attract C. sexmaculata beetles. Future tests need to be conducted to determine which compounds could be exploited as attractants for C. sexmaculata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first step to better understand the relationship between natural enemy communities and pest control is to know which, when, and how frequently different natural enemies interact with their prey. In alfalfa fields of central Chile, aphids are the most common pests and are consumed by predators such as coccinellids, syrphids, and spiders. In this study, through video recording, we analyzed how natural enemy communities visiting aphid sentinel cards vary between scenarios of low and high abundance of aphids in alfalfa in spring. On 15 occasions, during the day, we monitored the natural enemies visiting cards with sentinel aphids (60 cards per field; total 900) located in fields with high (n = 6) and low (n = 9) aphid abundance. We also analyzed whether the abundance of coccinellid species visiting sentinel cards was related to their abundance in each field. In 750 h of video recording, we found 2749 natural enemies visiting the sentinel cards; 86.2% of them were coccinellids of five species. Total natural enemies and coccinellid visits were three times higher in low than in high aphid abundance scenarios. In contrast, the species richness and diversity of natural enemies and coccinellids visiting cards did not differ between aphid scenarios. The abundance of coccinellids in the field was positively associated with the abundance of coccinellids visiting cards, for the three most abundant species. Our study shows that video recording is useful for identifying changes in the communities of natural enemies of aphids in alfalfa, providing important new insights into trophic interactions in field situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coccinellids of Genus Illeis are among the most familiar beetles that belong to the tribe Coccinellini of subfamily Coccinellinae under the family Coccinellidae of order Coleoptera. The present study was conducted to understand the distributional, taxonomical, and morphological features of four species of Coccinellids of Genus Illeis recorded from four different Doon Valley, Uttarakhand study sites. Four species of coccinellids of the genus Illeis were recorded during the study period. During the study period, Illeis confusa (Timberlake), Illeis cincta (Fabricius), Illeis indica (Timberlake), and Illeis koebelei (Timberlake) were the four observed species of the genus. From the study, it was observed that among all four species of coccinellids, Illeis confusa was the dominant species (267 individuals), followed by Illeis indica (110), Illeis koebelei (40), and Illeis cincta (35) in term of number of individuals. Out of the four species, Illeis koebelei (Timberlake) was recorded for the 1st time from Doon Valley, Uttarakhand, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the biological aspects and predation efficiency of 3 aphidophagous ladybird beetles, Coccinella novemnotata , Hippodamia variegata , and Coccinella septempunctata , on the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii , reared on cucumber plants (Cucumis sativus L. cultivar barracuda) under laboratory conditions. The developmental periods of C. novemnotata , H. variegata , and C. septempunctata were observed to be 16.00 ± 0.25, 16.00 ± 0.25, and 20.58 ± 0.40 days, respectively. The larvae of these ladybird beetles consumed an average of 218.93 ± 8.86, 254.77 ± 8.86, and 537.36 ± 10.49 aphids, respectively. Fourth-instar larvae were particularly efficient, consuming 53.68%, 52.68%, and 52.64% of total aphids for C. novemnotata , H. variegata , and C. septempunctata , respectively. Adult emergence rates were promising, with 91.67%, 100.00%, and 92.86%, accompanied by sex ratios of 63.64%, 53.84%, and 61.54%, respectively. Notably, a single female of C. novemnotata , H. variegata , and C. septempunctata consumed an average of 2,215.30, 2,232.00, and 3,364.50 aphids, respectively, over its lifespan. Coccinella septempunctata demonstrated the highest predation efficiency among the 3 species, suggesting its potential for biological control of A. gossypii in both open fields and greenhouses, promoting sustainable agricultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predatory arthropods play a crucial role in mitigating the impact of insect pests. However, the use of broad-spectrum insecticides in pest management methods can pose a threat to predator populations. In response to the need for safer and more selective insecticides that spare natural enemies, an effort was made to know the diversity of predatory fauna and effect of seed dressers and foliar spraying insecticides on coccinellids and spiders at the Main Agricultural Research Station in Dharwad, Karnataka, during the summer 2021 and 2022. The treatments included four seed treatments, four seed treatments in combination with foliar spray, two foliar sprays alone, and an untreated control. Predator numbers were recorded at 45 and 65 days after sowing (DAS), selecting 20 plants randomly in all treatments. The results demonstrated that during the summer 2021 and 2022, seed treatment with chlorpyriphos 20EC was identified as safe, exhibiting the highest number of coccinellids (0.55 and 1.33 per plant) and spiders (0.54 and 1.62 per plant), respectively. These results were statistically comparable to other treatments like, seed treatment with imidacloprid 60 FS (0.49 and 1.00 coccinellids per plant) (0.48 and 1.38 spiders per plant), thiamethoxam 30 FS (0.45 and 0.95 coccinellids per plant) (0.44 and 1.22 spiders per plant) during 2021 and 2022 summer, respectively, ranking just below the untreated control. A significant difference in the population of coccinellids and spiders was observed among all the treatments, with seedtreated plants recording the highest predatory populations compared to foliarsprayed plants. Consequently, the study concludes that seed treatment chemicals prove to be safer for predators while still effectively providing necessary pest control. This highlights the potential of integrating such seed treatment methods into pest management strategies to enhance overall efficacy while minimizing adverse effects on beneficial predator populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coccinellid beetles (ladybird beetles) are valuable biological pest control agents in all terrestrial landscapes including agroecosystems. Agricultural intensification contributes to the decline of these pest predators mainly due to pesticides, habitat reduction, and decreased food availability. Here, we explored the diversity of ladybird beetles in croplands alongside the river Chenab at Wazirabad. We collected coccinellid beetles from seven sampling sites (Behram, Wazirabad City, Khanki, Burj Cheema, Tahli da Kot, Rasool Nagar and Kot Har Auddin) by handpicking and sweeping aerial net fortnightly during 2016-2017. A total of 4589 individuals were recorded that belonged to 13 species representing six genera, three tribes and three subfamilies. The results showed that maximum number of species belong to genus Epilachna (five species) and Coccinella (four species) which make them most diverse genera. Coccinella septempunctata (16.40%) was the most dominant species followed by Coccinella undecimpunctata (12.83%) whereas Epilachna varivestis (1.61%) was the least abundant species. The results of diversity indices showed lowest Simpson index value (1-D= 0.89) in Rasool Nagar which is indication of high diversity. Maximum species richness was recorded at Behram (H': 2.47) whereas greater evenness was recorded at Burj Cheema (e^H/S: 0.89). This quantitative assessment of coccinellids from riverside fauna indicated the conservatory impact of the habitat on lady bird beetles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine the feeding performance of grubs and adults of Brumoides suturalis (Fabricius) on the cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley. The experiments were conducted in the laboratory at 25.0±1.0°C temperature, 65±5% R.H., and a 14L:10D photoperiod with ten replicates under unstarved and starved conditions. When unstarved, the first instar grub, second instar grub, third instar grub, fourth instar grub, adult male, and adult female ingested at an average of 8.5±0.26, 12.6±0.33, 19.1±0.48, 38.2±0.60, 28.0±0.29, and 33.4±0.74 mealybugs/insect/day, respectively. When exposed to starvation for 2 hours prior to the experiment, the mean consumption of the first instar grub, second instar grub, third instar grub, fourth instar grub, adult male, and adult female was recorded to be 9.2±0.09, 13.3±0.31, 20.1±0.42, 40.5±0.34, 30.0±0.50, and 34.3±0.25 mealybugs/insect/day, respectively. The study subsequently revealed that the fourth instar grub of B. suturalis is a voracious feeder of cotton mealybug, exhibiting the highest feeding potential among all the developmental stages. An adult female indicated higher feeding performance over the adult male. The starved grubs and adults consumed a higher number of mealybugs than unstarved or well-fed grubs and adults of B. suturalis .

Fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith) has become a devastating pest in maize. Field experiments were carried out to assess the efficacy of various IPM modules against this pest. Amongst these, biointensive module recorded highest number of coccinellids (1.27/ plant) and ants (0.42/ plant), while chemical control module led to highest larval reduction over control (86.04%) and being superior with significantly higher grain yield (53.45 q/ ha). This also gave a 1.86 B:C ratio followed by the IPM module (48.06 q/ ha) with 1.85 B:C ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study delves into the mouthpart morphology of ladybird beetles belonging to the Coccinellidae family, Coleoptera, with a focus on three representative species: Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (phytophagous), Harmonia octomaculata (predatory) and Illeis cincta (mycophagous). The research reveals distinct variations in mouthpart structures among these species, illuminating the connection between mouthpart morphology and host preferences. Predatory beetles, exemplified by Harmonia octomaculata, showcase specialized features such as bifid mandibular apices and larger mandibles (0.80 mm in length, 0.34 mm in width). In contrast, phytophagous ladybird beetles like Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata exhibit multidentate mandibles with smaller dimensions. Additionally, the outer galea (0.30 mm) and inner lacinia (0.43 mm) of maxillae are significantly more substantial in phytophagous beetles compared to their predatory and mycophagous counterparts. These findings underscore the intricate relationship between mouthpart morphology and feeding habits in ladybird beetles, shedding light on their ecological roles, evolutionary adaptations and potential implications for pest management and entomological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of pests by biological control agents is a natural and environmental friendly method. It is an important part of integrated pest management programs where biological predators play a significant role in controlling various pests. During the present study, different insect pests were observed infesting walnut trees and fruits causing significant damage to the walnut orchards. Among these pests, sap suckers were found to cause notable damage out of which aphids were most dominating pests. High population of walnut aphids causes leaf drop, reduced tree vigour, nut quality and size. In addition to this, some insect predators were also observed on these walnut aphids. Six species of predaceous coccinellid beetles were found on walnut leaves in interaction with walnut aphids and they were identified belonging to sub family Coccinellinae. Among which Calvia punctata (Mulsant, 1853) and Harmonia dimidiata (Fabricius, 1781) were the most encountered species. Besides, one species from syrphidae family Metasyrphus latifasciatus (Macquart, 1859) was also observed. Moreover, extreme feeding potential was noted among these predators.

Developmental plasticity is a well-known individual survival strategy. Organisms are usually limited in their ability to read environmental cues and to integrate present and past information for optimally adjusting their phenotype to the state of their environment. Our study was designed to evaluate the effects of experimental selection on the ontogenesis of developmental variants under standard laboratory conditions. Developmental plasticity of the ladybird Propylea dissecta (Mulsant) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is known but experimental evolution studies are still lacking. Our data revealed the effects of selection based on developmental rate over 15 generations. The selection resulted into two variants and showed an elevation of the adult body mass after 15 generations for fast developers. The ratio of the two developmental variants changes according to the applied selective pressure but is bimodal in both (F1 and F15) the generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytophagous mite and its associated natural enemy population was monitored 15 days after transplanting Brinjal. Tetranychus urticae Koch population was highest of 35.15 mites/2.5 cm2 leaf in June and lowest in February (05.26 mites/2.5 cm2 leaf area) having significantly positive impact of maximum and minimum temperature (r=0.783 and r=0.744) and significantly negative impact with relative humidity (r= -0.834). Predatory mite, Amblyseius indicus (Narayan & Kaur) had positively significant effects of minimum temperature, maximum temperature (r=0.715 and r= 0.733) and significant and negative (r = -0.775) relation with morning RH. Highest coccinellid population (12.09 coccinellids/5 plants) was recorded in April and lowest (01.75 coccinellids/5 plants) in January with maximum temperature having positively and significant effects (r = 0.694), while minimum temperature exerted non-significant effect (r=0.486), while significant and negative (r= -0.638 and r=-0.790) relationship with morning and evening relative humidity, respectively. Green lace wings were recorded from January till second fortnight of June with a maximum population of 07.55 green lacewings/5 plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted to study the population dynamics of major insect pests and their natural enemies in cauli flower eco system in two consecutive cropping seasons i.e., winter 2021-22 and 22-23 at experimental farm of Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar. In cropping season 2021-22, the incidence was at its peak of the pests: Aphids (123.72), Diamondback Moth (12.83), Tobacco caterpillar (1.02), Leaf webber (2.83), and Flea beetle (2.56) per plant were recorded on 12thSMW, 11thSMW, 12thSMW, 9thSMW, and 12thSMW, respectively. Similarly, on llthSMW, 12thSMW, 9thSMW, 10thSMW, and 12thSMW of cropping season 2022-23 maximum incidence of aphids (147.2), DBM (17.47), tobacco caterpillar (1.65), leaf webber (1.43) and flea beetle (2.53) per plant were recorded, respectively. Maximum population of Cotesia plutellae were 3.86 and 5.43, Oomyzus sp. were 1.01 and 1.21,Aphidius colimani 13.48 and 15.83, Coccinellids were 5.13 and 9.56, and Syrphids were 2.12 and 2.16 recorded during the cropping season 2021-22 and 2022-23, respectively. The correlation between population of insect pests and natural enemies in relation to weather parameters shown significant positive correlation with temperature (maximum and minimum), rainfall and sunshine while negative and significant correlation to relative humidity (morning - evening) during both the cropping season.The coefficient of determination (adjusted R²) value and regression equations obtained after subjecting insect population data in multiple linear regression analysis in relation to weather parameters indicates significant influence of weather parameter on population build-up of insect pests and related natural enemies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viruses and aphids, the most recent vectors of viruses (Hemiptera: Aphididae) of the genera Myzus and Aphis, are the main phytosanitary problems of Capsicum spp. (Solanales: Solanaceae) agricultural systems in Colombia. The incorporation of biological control in integrated pest management (IPM) programmes, which can be used to reduce aphid populations in solanaceous crops, is hampered by the lack of information on the natural enemy community, such as parasitoids, predators and generalist aphidophagous. For this reason, the objective of this research was to determine and characterize the community of generalist aphidophagous (Coccinellidae and Syrphidae) in the cultivation of chilli pepper in south‐western Colombia, and to characterize their diet through stomach content analysis using next‐generation sequencing (NGS) techniques. Two species of Coccinellidae and one species of Syrphidae were the most abundant predators in commercial crops of Capsicum spp. and fed preferentially on aphids that attacked the pepper plants. The characterization of the diet of these predators using molecular tools revealed intraspecific predation, secondary predation of aphid parasitoids and consumption of alternative prey to the aphids attacking the pepper plants. Differences in diet composition were observed between larval and adult coccinellids, and between coccinellids and the hoverfly species studied. The results suggest that dominant predators may be suitable for use in IPM programmes to control aphids in pepper crops, as their diet consists mainly of aphids that attack pepper plants. In addition, these predators can take advantage of the agricultural matrix by feeding on alternative prey in the absence of aphids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study on the diversity of insect pests and coccinellid predators in mustard crop ecosystems. The study found that certain pests and predators were associated with the crop, and their occurrence varied throughout the crop period. Temperature and relative humidity were identified as influential weather factors. The document provides valuable data on the seasonal incidence of pests and predators, as well as correlation studies between these populations and weather parameters. The findings suggest that weather data can be used to predict and manage pest populations, aiding in effective crop management. [Extracted from the article]

The study aimed to determine the effect of two aphid species; Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on the life table and reproductive parameters of ladybird beetle, Coccinella undecimpunctata (Linnaeus) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The results revealed that the total developmental period from egg to adult emergence was significantly shorter on Myzus persicae (18.6 ± 0.42 days) and longer on Brevicoryne brassicae (27.4±0.50 days). The adult longevity of males and females was noted significantly higher on M. persicae than B. brassicae. The reproductive parameters such as oviposition period (37±1.00 days), post-oviposition period (4.4±0.41 days), and fecundity (315.09±0.34 eggs) were found higher on M. persicae than B. brassicae (31.2±1.09 days, 3.3±0.35 days, 189.54±0.43 eggs, respectively). Among the life table parameters, net reproductive rate and intrinsic rate of increase were significantly higher on M. persicae (132.18 females/female and 0.19/day, respectively) and lower on B. brassicae (80.77 females/female and 0.12/day, respectively). Our results showed that C. undecimpunctata can be easily reared on M. persicae and is a more efficient biological control agent for M. persicae than B. brassicae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deltamethrin and imidacloprid are commonly used insecticides for controlling sub-sucking insects in greenhouses. However, their application may cause sublethal effects on the aphid coccinellid predator Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Here, we study (i) the toxicity and the effect of two sublethal doses (LD10 and LD30) of deltamethrin and imidacloprid on C. septempunctata in a laboratory microcosm and (ii) the residual toxicity of the two insecticides in a greenhouse. The results showed that both insecticides reduced fecundity, longevity, the intrinsic rate of increase, the finite rate of increase and the net reproductive rate. However, the developmental time of the fourth instar larvae was prolonged by both insecticides at LD10 and LD30. Deltamethrin residues were toxic 21 DAT (days after treatment) to C. septempunctata fourth instar larvae. In contrast, imidacloprid began in the slightly harmful category (75%) 1 DAT and declined to the harmless category (18.33%) 21 DAT. These results indicate that deltamethrin and imidacloprid have potential risks to C. septempunctata. This study provides information to guide the development of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies in greenhouses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the association of aphids along with their food plants, parasitoids and predators in varying ecological conditions for the possible use in biological control programs. Aphids are small, sap-sucking insects and they are considered an important pest of agricultural and horticultural plants due to sucking of vital nutrients and transmitting viral diseases. During the survey, 41 species of aphids were recorded on 122 plant species in northeast Bihar. Three species of Myzus viz., M. ascalonicus, M. persicae and M. variants were recorded. M. persicae was recorded on 36 food plants from December to April but its peak population was observed during February and March. Five species of parasitoids (Aphelinus albipodus, Aphelinus gossypii, Aphidius colemani, Binodoxys indicus, Diaeretiella rapae, Lipolexis oregmae), five species of coccinellid predators (Cheilomenes sexmaculata, Coccinella septempunctata, Coccinella transversalis, Micraspis discolor, Scymnus pyrocheilus) and three species of syrphid predators (Dideopsis aegrota, Ischiodon scutellaris, Melanostoma orientale) were recorded on M. persicae. Among these, three parasitoids (B. indicus, L. oregmae, A. gossypii), four coccinellids predators (C. sexmaculata, C. septempunctata, C. transversalis, S. pyrocheilus) and two syrphid predators (D. aegrota, I. scutellaris) were observed abundantly in all localities with a high rate of parasitization/predation on M. persicae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fixed plot survey was carried out at College of Agriculture, Vijayapura, Karnataka, India during November 2020 to June 2022 to record the natural enemy fauna associated with insect pests of acid lime, Citrus aurantifolia Swingle. During the study, a neuropteran predator green lacewing, Chrysoperla zastrowi sillemi, three species of coccinellids viz., Cheilomenes sexmaculata (F.), Coccinella transversalis F. and Illeis cincta (F.) and several species of spiders viz., Carrhotus viduus (Koch), Telamonia dimidiate (Simon), Thyene imperialis (Rossi), Phintelloides sp. Phintella sp. and Telamonia sp. were noticed to be associated with insect pests of acid lime. In addition, a braconid parasitoid, Distatrix papilionis was found parasitizing the larvae of citrus butterfly in acid lime orchards. The efforts can be made to utilize these identified natural enemies in biological control of insect pests of acid lime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lady bird beetles, which are also called as Coccinellid beetles, Ladybugs, Ladybeetles in scientific literatures belong to family Coccinellidae of Order Coleoptera. The aim of present study was to know the current status of community structure of coccinellid beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in agricultural ecosystem of Mothrowala region, Dehradun (U.K.), India, during January 2021-December 2021. During our study, a total of nine species of coccinellids were collected from all four sites of Mothrowala region. These nine species of coccinellids belongs to three subfamilies and four tribes. These species are Brumoides suturalis (Fabricius), Coccinella septempunctata (Linn.), Coccinella transversalis (Fab.), Hippodamia variegata (Goeze), Illeis confusa (Fabr.), Micraspis discolor (Fabr.), Oenopia sauzeti (Mulsant), Psyllobora spp., and Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata (Fabr.). Maximum number of species were recorded from the Site-1 (eight species), followed by Site-2 (seven species), Site-4 (seven species), and Site-3 (five species), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hippodamia variegata (Goeze), the variegated ladybug, is a predator of many insect pests, especially aphids. Sulfoxaflor is a chemical insecticide that can be used to control many sap-feeding insect pests, for instance, plant bugs and aphids, as an alternative to neonicotinoids in different crops. To improve the combination of the H. variegata and sulfoxaflor in an IPM (integrated pest management) program, we studied the ecological toxicity of the insecticide to the coccinellid predator at sublethal and lethal doses. We examined the influence of sulfoxaflor on larvae of H. variegata using exposure doses of 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 (maximum recommended field rate (MRFR)), and 96 ng a.i. per insect. In a 15-day toxicity test, we observed decreased adult emergence percentage and survival, as well as an increased hazard quotient. The LD50 (dose causing 50% mortality) of H. variegata due to sulfoxaflor decreased from 97.03 to 35.97 ng a.i. per insect. The total effect assessment indicated that sulfoxaflor could be grouped as slightly harmful for H. variegata. Additionally, most of the life table parameters were significantly decreased after exposure to sulfoxaflor. Overall, the results present a negative influence of sulfoxaflor on H. variegata when applied at the recommended field dose for controlling aphids in Greece, which demonstrates that this insecticide may only be employed with care when used in IPM programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four late season cauliflower genotypes namely Pusa Snowball 1 (PSB 1), Pusa Snowball K1 (PSB K1), Pusa Snowball K25 (PSB K25) and Plantsman Snowball (PMS) were evaluated for their resistance to Diamond Back Moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus), during 2018-19. Among the genotypes screened PSB1 and PMS were comparatively less susceptible. Biochemical analyses of leaves from 85 days old healthy plants showed that PMS had higher phenol content (89.9 mg 100g-1) which on par with PSB-1 with 81.43 mg 100g-1 of leaf. This was followed by PSB K25 and PSB K1 with 69.5 and 54.23 mg 100g-1 respectively. The varieties with higher phenol content offered more resistance to DBM. Protein content of the plant showed no correlation with DBM infestation. Foliar application of spinosad (45 % SC @ 56.25 g ai ha-1 +NSKE 2.5 %) recorded a higher reduction (94.40 %) of DBM population over control, with comparatively higher number of syrphids and coccinellids indicating its safety to natural enemies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aphids Lipaphis erysimi pseudobrassicae (Davis) and Myzus persicae (Sulzer) pose serious threats to the production of cruciferous crops in the tropics. Understanding their population dynamics is important for developing integrated pest management programmes to minimize their damage to crops. This study investigated the effects of climatic factors, natural enemies and plant age on the population dynamics of these pests. The population density of aphids and their natural enemies in 20 cabbage plants, and weather conditions were monitored for five cropping seasons from 2019 to 2021 in two agroecological zones of Ghana (Coastal Savannah and Deciduous Forest zones). The highest population density of L. e pseudobrassicae was recorded in January (dry season) in both agroecological zones, while the highest population density for M. persicae occurred in September (minor rainy season) and August (dry spell) in the Coastal Savannah and Deciduous Forest zones, respectively. The highest aphid densities were noted to occur during periods with low relative humidity and low rainfall. The population density of L. e. pseudobrassicae was significantly negatively related to plant age, air temperature and relative humidity, and positively related to syrphids (Paragus borbonicus) and spiders in the Coastal Savannah zone, while in the Deciduous Forest zone, it was significantly positively related to coccinellids. On the other hand, M. persicae population density was significantly positively related to syrphids and coccinellids in the Deciduous Forest zone. Rainfall negatively affected syrphids in the Coastal Savannah zone, while air temperature positively affected syrphids and negatively affected spiders in the Deciduous Forest zone. Coccinellids had a significant positive relationship with relative humidity in the Deciduous Forest zone. This study provides important insights into the key factors that regulate aphid population densities on cabbage and will support development of timely interventions to manage these pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of selection on developmental variants have not yet been rigorously investigated on variable prey quantities. We investigated the food exploitation strategy of first (F 1) and fifteenth (F 15) generation slow and fast developers of Propylea dissecta (Mulsant) in the presence of scarce and abundant quantities of pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), and its effect on adult body mass and reproductive attributes. Both selected slow developers and selected fast developers were higher in number than their counter unselected generation on scarce and abundant diets, respectively. Immature survivals of selected slow developers were depressed after the selection process while it was enhanced for selected fast developers on both diet regimes. On both diets, the total developmental duration was longer for selected slow developers and shorter for selected fast developers. Fecundity and percent egg viability were greater in selected fast developers with plentiful prey supply and lower in control slow developers with inadequate prey supply. More adult body mass was found for pre-selected slow developers than selected slow developers on a scarce diet but selected fast developers enhanced their body weight than unselected individuals of fast developers on an abundant diet. The present experimental evolution findings point to the presence and persistence of developmental variations with variability in their developmental and reproductive traits on allocating scarce and abundant prey supplies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiments were carried out to evaluate the bioefficacy and safety to the natural enemies of horticulture mineral oil veedol tree spray oil and standard check MAK All Season HMO against San Jose scale (SJS) Quadraspidiotus perniciosus (Comstock) and European red mite (ERM) Panonychus ulmi (Koch) at different concentrations .The locations were Chandpora (District Srinagar) and Mirgund (District Baramulla) of J&K during 2019 and 2020.All the treatments were significantly superior as compared to untreated control. The highest cumulative mean mortality of SJS was (57.55 and 54.50 percent) and ERM (60.46 and 55.54 percent) at the concentration of 2.5 percent both for both Chandpora and Mirgund during dormant 2019-20. The highest cumulative mean mortality of SJS was (54.89 and 62.12 percent) and ERM (64.48 and 68.06 percent) at the concentration of 1.25 percent for Chandpora and Mirgund during summer 2019-20. Maximum cumulative mortality of Coccinellids was recorded (22.46 and 20.17 percent) @ 1.25 percent by veedol tree spray oil and MAK all season HMO at Chandpora and Mirgund respectively. No phytotoxicity symptoms viz., leaf injury, yellowing, wilting, necrosis, hyponasty and epinasty were observed with veedol tree spray oil. Maximum yield of 4.40 and 4.50 boxes/tree was attained with MAK (standard check) @1.25 percent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The survey conducted during kharif 2018 and 2019 in rice crop to assess the biodiversity of predators revealed 37 species from 17 families belonging to six insect orders and 13 species of spiders under twelve genera under eight families. Spiders, coccinellids, damselflies and dragonflies were noticed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weather extremes can have profound impact on plant physiology. The altered physiology of stressed plant can also modify trophic interactions in that plant environment. Aphids are important pests of wheat crop causing direct or indirect injury to the crop. The pest is routinely managed through use of insecticides. Insecticides due to their toxic effects are mostly not desired for use on food crops. Thus, alternative approaches such as biological and cultural control are more desirable. This research explores irrigation stress impacts on wheat aphids, predators, and yield characteristics under field conditions. The wheat crop was stressed at any of the tillering, booting, heading or grain formation stages by skipping irrigation during entire length of each stage. Unstressed wheat enjoyed irrigation at all four stages. Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) was the most abundant aphid species and coccinellids, the most abundant predators. S. graminum was least on unstressed or tillering stressed wheatbut was the most on wheat stressed at booting, heading, and grain formation stages. Irrigation stress reduced chlorophyll contents (5-25%) and wheat yield (kg/ha) (6-31%) when compared with unstressed wheat. The irrigation stress changed coccinellid abundance and predator-prey ratio. Altered plant physiology and a weaken plant defense under irrigation stress attracted feeding by more aphids which resultantly reduced chlorophyll amount. The abundant prey attracted more predation in the stressed wheat. The aphids and predator's preference change under irrigation stress are clear in our findings. We also discuss tri-trophic effects and implications of current study toward wheat aphid control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]