E:\ 82(1) 19196--S Singh

Indian Journal of Entomology, Preview (2020) DoI No.:

ARTHRO POD DIVERSITY IN CASHEW BLOSSOM

S Singh* and S K Mukherjee

Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751003 *Email: [email protected] (corresponding author)

ABSTRACT

Arthropod diversity in cashew blossoms were sampled on five elite cashew varieties viz. Jagannath, Balabhadra, H-1608, H 2/16 and NRC Sel 2 during its flowering and fruiting period (February to April, 2015). A total of 1518 of 7 orders, 23 families and 29 species were documented. These were in the order of: Hymenoptera > Araneae > Hemiptera > Coleoptera = > Thysanoptera = Diptera. The species diversity indices viz., Shannon-Weiner index (2.44), Simpson’s index (0.11) and evenness index (0.86) obtained indicate rich species diversity and abundance during first fortnight of April. Comparing the diversity indices between the varieties reveal that Shannon–Weiner index varied from 2.129 to 2.212 showing similarity with the variety H-1608 showing the most diverse.

Key words: Cashew, arthropods, blossoms, diversity, indices, thrips, spiders, Hymenoptera, varieties, H-1608 Apis spp., abundance

Cashew, Anacardium occidentale L. (Anacardiaceae) H-1608, H 2/16, and NRC Sel 2, with five trees from was introduced to India by the Portuguese for preventing each selected randomly. The arthropods were dislodged soil erosion through afforestation. Presently, India is the manually by tapping the flower rachis over a card board largest producer of cashew viz,. 7.25 lakh MT in 10.27 (45 cm2) covered with muslin cloth and then collected lakh ha (Directorate of Cashew and Cocoa Development with a camel hair brush. The collected specimens were 2019). However, the cashew productivity is hindered sorted out orderwise and identified further using keys by the biotic and abiotic factors. Of these the given by Borror et al. (1989; Mitra, 2010). The diversity pests are major constraints, and a total of 413 species of data were subjected to computations of diversity from eight orders - Coleoptera (104), Hemiptera indices- Shannon-Wiener’s index (H), (Shannon and (90), Lepidoptera (88), Orthoptera (17), Thysanoptera Wiener, 1963) and Simpson’s Dominance index (D) (17), Isoptera (10), Hymenoptera and Diptera had been (Simpson, 1949) to determine the heterogeneity among reported. These attack cashew in the field as well as in sampled cultivars. storage (25) (Directorate of Cashew Research, 2015). Of these 70 insects cause severe economic loss at various RESULTS AND DISCUSSION stages of crop growth (Dowmoh et al., 2008). Those The study on the arthropods in cashew blossom occurring during flowering and fruiting are critical revealed of 1518 species of 7 orders, 23 families in determining the productivity. Cashewnut being an and 29 species (Table 1). The species composition important export commodity ecofriendly IPM essential, irrespective of the sampling time and variety revealed and a baseline study on the diversity of insect pests and the predominance of Hymenoptera (35%) followed natural enemies on cashew blossoms is critical and by Arachnida (17%), Hemiptera (14%), Coleoptera hence the present study. (10%), Lepidoptera (10%), Thysanoptera and Diptera MATERIALS AND METHODS (7%). A similar study was conducted by Kuukyi and Wiafe (2016) which revealed 6 orders, 20 families and The study wasPREVIEW conducted in 2015 at the Cashew 56 species during the flowering and fruiting period of Research Station (CRS), ALL India Coordinated cashew at farms situated nearer to the forest areas; and Research Project (AICRP) on Cashew, Orissa University the farms away from the forest revealed 7 orders, 22 of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar families and 41 species. (BBSR). Sampling of arthropods was done at weekly intervals, from five most popular varieties grown Among the hymenopterans, Apidae was the most under Odisha conditions viz., Jagannath, Balabhadra, speciose with 4 species – Apis cerana indica, A. 2 Indian Journal of Entomology, Preview 2020

Table 1. Relative abundance of arthropods in cashew blossom (Flowering season, 2015) Order Family Species Relative Functional role Abundance (%) Thysanoptera Phlaeothripidae Haplothrips ceylonicus 27.99 Herbivore Thripidae Frankliniella schultzei 20.09 Herbivore Coleoptera - Species 1 1.91 - Anthecidae Species 9 (flower ) 12.58 Pollinator Coccinellidae Coccinella spp. 3.29 Predator Hymenoptera Formicidae Camponotus compressus 3.03 Predator Paratrechina longicornis 1.45 Predator Pseudomyrmicidae Tetraponera spp. 0.26 Predator Apidae Apis cerena indica 1.84 Pollinator Apis dorsata - Pollinator Apis mellifera - Pollinator Tetragonula sp. - Pollinator Vespidae Undetermined species 0.85 Pollinator Andrenidae Undetermined species 0.52 Pollinator Lepidoptera Pyraustidae Lamida moncousalis 1.44 Herbivore Phycitidae Thylocoptila paurosema 2.23 Herbivore Hemiptera Aphididae Toxoptera odinae 7.11 Herbivore Pentatomidae Eucanthegona - Predator Coreidae Cravigalla - Herbivore Pseudococcidae Feressia virgata - Herbivore Diptera Muscidae Musca spp. 0.79 Pollinator Calliphoridae Blow flies 0.66 Pollinator Araneae Salticidae Myrmarachne spp. - Predator - Species 3 4.15 Predator Oxyopidae Oxyopes birmanicus 4.4 Predator Lycosidae Wolf Spider 3.89 Predator - Species 6 1.58 Predator mellifera, A. dorsata and Tetragonula sp., followed by and mealy bugs occasionally. the Formicidae. Of these, A. cerana indica frequented the flowers often. These results corroborate with Raghavendra (2001) reported Araneidae, Salticidae, previous observations than A. florea, A. dorsata and Thomocidae and Oxyopidae the major spider families; A. cerana indica frequently visit cashew flowers maximum population of these was during spring season and feed mainly on nectar. Rarely these were seen corresponding with the occurrence of maximum pest collecting pollen, contrary to Tetragonula iridipennis activity (Devasahayam and Nair, 1986). A total of 35 which collects both pollen and nectar. Camponotus spider species under 9 families and 29 genera had been compressus, Paratrechina longicornis and Tetraponera reported (Beevi and Mahapatro, 2008). Of these Hyllus rufonigra were the ant species. These are attracted to diacanthes, Phintella vittata and Plexippus paykullyand the extrafloral nectarines whereas T. rufonigra was (Salticidae) and Uloborus spp. (Eloboridae) were the seen predating on certain soft bodied insects. These most common. A total of 117 species of spiders under observations agree with those of Fred et al. (1998) and 18 families are known from cashew ecosystem (Bhat PREVIEWet al., 2013). In the present study five species of spiders Vanitha et al. (2017) who observed that the majority of the ants were generally attracted to the extrafloral (Salticidae, Lycosidae, Oxyopidae) and two unidentified nectarines present on the young leaves and developing species were observed; and Oxyopes birmanicus and inflorescences; some ant species were observed Lycosa sp. were the abundant; with respect to families predating cashew pests and include Tetraponera the order of abundance was Oxyopidae (35.52%) > spp. feeding on eggs of Ethalia spp. (Nymphalidae: Species 3 (30.565) > Lycosidae (26.4%) > Species 6 Lepidoptera) and C. compressus predating on aphids (9.7%) > Salticidae (0.09%), and spiders constituted diversity in cashew blossom 3 S Singh and S K Mukherjee

Table 2. Species diversity and Evenness (EH)/ Equitability (ED) of arthropods in cashew blossom Sample Shannon-Wiener Simpson Evenness Equitability

Index (H) Index (D) (EH) (ED) 1 1.745 0.269 0.70224 0.309789 2 1.927 0.2003 0.775482 0.416043 3 2.09 0.1647 0.791949 0.433689 4 2.44 0.1082 0.861213 0.543656 5 1.151 0.4981 0.553514 0.250954

Table 3. Species diversity and Evenness (EH)/ Equitability (ED) of arthropods in cashew blossom in varieties Variety Shannon-Wiener Simpson Evenness Equitability

Index (H) Index (D) (EH) (ED) Jagannath 2.201 0.1457 0.776856 0.356939 Balabhadra 2.129 0.1648 0.767874 0.379248 H-1608 2.212 0.1456 0.838178 0.43929 H 2/16 2.12 0.1626 0.803317 0.43929 NRC Sel 2 2.2 0.1528 0.812393 0.4363

12.58%, and the primary function of the spiders is causing shrivelling and premature apple and nut fall. predation (Beevi and Mahapatro, 2008). With respect to species richness, apple and nut borer contributes 58.62% of the total Lepidoptera. During Aphididae, Coreidae, Pentatomidae and 2015, Haplothrips ceylonicus (Phlaeothripidae) and Pseudococcidae (Hemiptera) were observed closely Franklieniella schultzei (Thripidae) were observed associated with the blossoms and the nuts. Toxoptera (58.22% and 41.78%, respectively), with the peak odinae (Aphididae) had been known for sucking sap period of occurrence of H. ceylonicus being March from the inflorescence, and apple and nuts and has which gradually decreased to 50% and became assumed pest status. The aphid activity occurring during negligible by the end of April. The incidence of F. winter coincides with peak flushing through fruiting schultzei also commenced from 2nd fortnight of February season in December-January (Veena and Ganeshaiah, and continued till the end of April; during flowering 1991). However, in the present study T. odinae was period peak population was in March, which reduced to observed in April, in a very erratic manner and only on 50% in the subsequent sampling. Both these thrips had two varieties i.e. Jagannath (53.70%) and Balabhadra been reported for the first time from cashew flowers at (46.30%). Other families like Pentatomidae, Coreidae Bhubaneswar (Patnaik et al., 1987). and Pseudococcidae were also observed but negligible. Coleoptera consituted 10.34% and of these Coccinella The diversity indices like Shannon diversity index sp. (Coccinellidae) was maximum during March, 2015, (H) and Simpson’s index (D) are presented in Table the period coinciding with maximum population of 2 and 3. The maximum index value indicated higher Haplothrips ceylonicus and Franklieniella schultzei. diversity in species composition as seen in sample 4 Cashew plants are visited by ash weevil, red pumpkin (H= 2.44; D= 0.108) coinciding with the first half of , tortoise beetle, fruit beetle and brentid weevil April. The evenness values were maximum during (Ayanna and Ramadevi 1987). the 5th sampling (0.861213) which indicated that the PREVIEWspecies were abundant and occurred almost in similar L. moncusalis (Pyraustidae) was observed during proportion. Maximum diversity was observed in the April with mean population of 0.88%. Sahu et al. variety H-1608 (H=2.212; D=0.1456); evenness value (2018) observed this as infesting cashew from the was also maximum (0.838178). end of February to May, with maximum population during April. Thylocoptila sp. (Phychitidae) was also REFERENCES observed in April after the formation of nut and apple Ayyanna T, Devi R. 1986. A study of the distribution and status of stem 4 Indian Journal of Entomology, Preview 2020

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(Manuscript Received: December, 2019; Revised: February, 2020; Accepted: February, 2020; Online published (Preview) in www.entosocindia.org Ref. No. 19196 PREVIEW