Current Biotica 9(3):281-284, 2015 ISSN 0973-4031

New record of Helopeltis bradyi Waterhouse and Pachypeltis maesarum Kirkaldy (: ) on tea Camellia sinensis L.O. (Kuntze) in southern India K.K. Srikumar*, B. Radhakrishnan, B. Suresh Kumar and P. Prabhakaran UAPSI Tea Research Foundation, Tea Research Institute, Valparai- 642 127 Tamil Nadu, India *E-mail: [email protected]

Tea, Camellia sinensis L.O. (Kuntze) of our efforts for development of an is one of the major foreign exchange earning integrated pest management (IPM) package commodities in India. Tea industry cannot for tea, extensive surveys were conducted in hope to compete successfully in the world tea plantations of Anamallais in order to market with its counterparts from other tea identify pests of tea in this area. During producing countries if it has to suffer survey we recorded Helopeltis bradyi handicaps in the form of serious pest Waterhouse, 1886 and Pachypeltis problem affecting crop production (Rao, maesarum Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Miridae) 1970). More than 300 species of and causing considerable damage and were mites have been reported causing damage to registered for the first time on tea (Fig.1). tea. The important pests belong to the order Their occurrence was seen in association Acarina, Thysanoptera, Coleoptera, with H. theivora Waterhouse. Tea was Lepidoptera and Hemiptera (Muraleedharan reported as a host plant for H. bradyi and Chen, 1997). The distribution and (Stonedahl, 1991). But this pest remained abundance of tea pests are largely influenced unnoticed till date in Indian tea plantations. by weather, altitude, crop variety and the Alternate host plants recorded for H. bradyi cultural operations such as pruning, was guava (Psidium guajava L.) and for P. manuring, regulation of shade, use of maesarum was Acalypha wilkesiana pesticides, natural enemies of pests and (Euphorbiaceae). Pachypeltis maesarum was economics of tea production a minor pest mainly infesting betel vines, (Muraleedharan, 1992). All parts of the has of late become one of the serious pests plant, leaf, stem, root, flower, and seed, are of in India (Bhat and Srikumar, fed upon by at least one pest species. The 2012). yield loss due to these pests may vary from five to 55 per cent and in some cases Morphologically Helopeltis theivora reaching upto 100 per cent (Hazarika et al., and H. bradyi are highly variable in overall 2009). Tea mosquito bug (TMB), Helopeltis size, coloration and some structures of the theivora Waterhouse alone can cause 15- external morphology such as scutellar 55% damage. Due to intensive feeding by process. The apparent inability of early nymphs and adults, leaves curl up and badly workers to recognize these variations led to deformed. Gradually these shoots dry up and widespread occurrence of misidentifications, almost the entire crop is lost (Sudhakaran, and this pest remained unnoticed in tea. 2000). Helopeltis bradyi male is 5.6-7 mm in length The incidence of this pest which was and general coloration as in H. theivora restricted only to Vandiperiyar and except pronotum uniformly black. Females Peermade (Kerala) areas had spread in an are larger than male, length 6.7-8.8 mm and alarming form in tea plantations of similar general coloration with pronotum Anamallais, Valparai (Tamil Nadu). As part sometimes brown and red. Whereas, H.

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Current Biotica 9(3):281-284, 2015 ISSN 0973-4031

theivora have brownish yellow pronotum H. theivora and P. maesarum. The circular and greenish abdomen colouration. rings were merged and smaller in sized on Pachypeltis maesarum was also seen in P. maesarum feeding (Fig. 2). It was company with H. theivora. Pachypeltis lack observed feeding punctures made by adult scutellar process and can be easily females were comparatively larger than distinguished from Helopeltis. those made by males; during oviposition still Adults and nymphs of H. bradyi and large punctures were made (Sudhakaran, P. maesarum with their rostrum, pierce the 2006). Laboratory observation suggested tender leaves and suck the cell sap. Within that the number of feeding punctures caused two to three hours, a circular ring forms by different stages of these mirids also around the point of injury. The interior of varied (Table 1). The number of punctures the ring becomes light brown within a day. per shoot varied with life stages and These rings appear as dark brown sunken intensity of feeding (Way and Khoo, 1989). spots after a day. Gradually they dry up and As the dosage and recommendations of holes appear in their place. Severely infested insecticides against TMB in tea in south leaves become deformed and curl up. India was pertaining only to H. theivora the addition of H. bradyi and P. maesarum will We observed there is considerable improve the future pest management variation among these species in size of the strategies. circular rings formed by rostral piercing, indicating that these three species can be ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Our thanks easily demarcated based on the observation are due to Prof. C.A. Viraktamath and Dr. of feeding punctures even in field condition. H.M. Yeshwanth, University of Agricultural Helopeltis bradyi rostral probing caused Sciences, Bangalore, for identifying large sized circular rings when compared to Pachypeltis maesarum Kirkaldy.

Table 1: Number of feeding spots generated by rostral probing of Helopeltis bradyi and P. maesarum on tea

No. of punctures/ shoot H. bradyi Period P. maesarum

5th Instar 5th Instar Male Female Male Female nymph nymph

24h 57-83 63-85 67-97 113-159 112-160 111-163

48h 94-145 105-146 112-132 189-243 198-240 196-249

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Current Biotica 9(3):281-284, 2015 ISSN 0973-4031

Fig. 1: Adults of a, Helopeltis bradyi. b, Pachypeltis maesarum feeding on tea

Fig. 2: Difference in punctures caused a, H. bradyi, b, P. maesarum and c, H. theivora on tea

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Current Biotica 9(3):281-284, 2015 ISSN 0973-4031

REFERENCES Stonedahl, G. M. 1991. The Oriental species Bhat, P. S. and Srikumar, K. K. 2012. of Helopeltis (: Record of Erythmelus helopeltidis Miridae): a review of economic Gahan (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), literature and guide to identification an egg parasitoid from Pachypeltis Bulletin of Entomological Research, maesarum (Heteroptera: Miridae) 81: 465-490. infesting cashew Pest Management in Horticultural Ecosystems, 18: Sudhakaran, R. 2000. Studies in the tea 103-104. mosquito bug, Helopeltis theivora Waterhouse (Hemiptera: Miridae) Hazarika, L. K., Bhuyan, M. and Budhindra, infesting tea in southern India. N. H. 2009. pests of tea and Ph.D. Thesis, Bharathiar University, their management Annual Review of Tamil Nadu pp 15-43. Entomology, 54: 267-284. Sudhakaran, R. and Muraleedharan, N. Muraleedharan, N. 1992. Pest Control in 2006. Biology of Helopeltis Asia. In "Cultivation to theivora (Hemiptera: Miridae) Consumption". (Eds. Wilson, K.C. infesting tea. Entomon, 31:165-180. and Clifford M. N.) pp 375-412, London: Chapman and Hall, 769 Way, M. J. and Khoo, K. C. 1989. pp. Relationships between Helopeltis theobromae damage and ants with Muraleedharan, N. and Chen, Z. M. 1997. special reference to Malaysian cocoa Pests and diseases of tea and their management Journal of Plantation smallholdings Journal of Plant Crops, 25: 15-43. Protection Tropics, 6: 1–11.

Rao, G. N. 1970. Tea pests in southern India [MS received 14 August 2015; and their control PANS 16 667-672. MS accepted 21 October 2015]

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