20309--Anand Harsana

Indian Journal of Entomology 83(2021) Online published Ref. No. e20309 DoI No.: 10.5958/0974-8172.2020.00243.6

OBSERVATIONS ON MEXICAN BICOLORATA WITH NEW RECORDS OF ITS PREDATION

Anand Harshana

Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi110012 Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

The present study reports Mexican beetle Pallister (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) populations feeding and biologically controlling L. plants in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh). The four species of viz., the yellow paper wasp Polistes wattii Cameron (Hymenoptera: Vespidae); the two spotted stink bug Perillus bioculatus (F.) (: Pentatomidae); the predatory bug Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and assassin bug Rhynocoris cf. fuscipes (Hemiptera: ) were found as natural enemies of Z. bicolorata. It is the first report of predation of Mexican beetle by the yellow paper wasp and Rhynocoris bug.

Key words: Zygogramma bicolorata, biological control, Parthenium hysterophorus, natural enemies, yellow paper wasp, Rhynocoris bug, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh

The Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae) natural enemies predating on beetle’s grubs and adults is a noxious, allergic and aggressive weed which is were studied in Gwalior. considered as one of the ‘most invasive species in the world’ by the Invasive Species Specialist Group of MATERIALS AND METHODS IUCN SSC (GISD, 2020). Parthenium was first reported The present study was conducted in a vacant field in India from Pune (Maharashtra) in 1955 (Rao, 1956). of about 1000 m2 (26°14’06”N 78°13’16”E) colonized Since then it has rapidly colonized vast parts of India. by Parthenium weed along the bank of Morar River in Although a number of indigenous insects were feeding C P Colony, Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh). The Mexican on the weed, none of them causing appreciable damage, beetle, Z. bicolorata and its natural enemies were therefore an exotic beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata identified based on published taxonomic literature Pallister (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) was introduced in on these groups and suggestions made by specialists. Bangalore from Mexico in April 1983 in order to control Photographs were taken by using mobile phone. Parthenium and became established there (Jayanth, Observations on Mexican beetle and its natural enemies 1987). Mexican beetle is now established in many were made during July-August 2020 in the field. Mean parts of India but provides only partial control of the infestations were assessed from Parthenium plants Parthenium weed. The hemipteran predatory bugs viz., randomly and observed eight times for Mexican Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff), Andrallus spinidens beetle’s presence (egg or grub or adult) and absence (F.), Perillus bioculatus (F.), pyrrhomelas on the weed. Walker and a tachinid parasitoid Palexorista sp. were reported as natural enemies of Mexican beetle RESULTS AND DISCUSSION in India (Jayanth et al., 1996; Gupta et al., 2004; Sushilkumar, 2009). In Madhya Pradesh the beetle Biological control of P. hysterophorus: The was first introduced in 1991 at NTPC Campus, Vidhya chrysomelid beetle Z. bicolorata is relatively small Nagar (Sidhi) to control Parthenium (Sushilkumar and sized with brown head and cream coloured elytra having Bhan, 1997). Subsequently ICAR-Directorate of Weed dark brown elongated markings (Fig. 1). In the present Research utilized this beetle for biological control of study grubs and adults of Z. bicolorata found feeding Parthenium in different parts of Madhya Pradesh and voraciously on Parthenium plants and leaving them supplied nucleus culture of beetle to organisations in defoliated (Fig. 2). Eight times observations taken on the state (Sushilkumar, 2005). In the present study Parthenium plants randomly in the field during July- observations of Z. bicolorata on Parthenium plants and August 2020 found 87.4% mean plant infestation (out 2 Indian Journal of Entomology 83(2021) Online published Ref. No. e20309

Fig. 1. Z. bicolorata adults Fig. 3. P. wattii predating on Mexican beetle grub

Fig. 4. P. wattii predating on Mexican Fig. 2. Defoliated Parthenium plants beetle adult of total 95 plants observed, 83 were found infested) by predation was observed on grubs than adult . Mexican beetle. Parthenium plants which were located The wasps were active from early morning to late in under or near the Guava tree, were most infested by the evening to search and prey on Mexican beetles Z. bicolorata than other plants, although the exact but comparatively less activity was observed in noon cause for this phenomenon is difficult to understand time. After catching beetle’s grubs and adults, wasps without proper study but this is presumed that it may immediately malaxate them by chewing while sitting be due to favorable temperature and relative humidity on the branches of nearby trees. It is the first report of for development of beetle population under or near Z. bicolorata predation by P. wattii wasp. guava tree. As reported by Omkar et al. (2008, 2009), temperature affects the development of stages and Three species of hemipteran predatory bugs were fecundity of Mexican beetle. observed on Z. bicolorata. The two spotted stink bug Perillus bioculatus was identified based on characteristic Natural enemies: In the present study four species two black spot on pronotum and coloring on the margins of insects reported as natural enemies of Z. bicolorata of scutellum. This bug has orange/red and yellowish in the Gwalior. The yellow paper wasp, Polistes wattii forms both observed in the field. The adults and nymphs (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) is one of the common insects of this bug predate on the grubs of Mexican beetle by in and around the human habitat. It was observed that piercing the cuticle and sucking body fluid (Figs. 5-6). yellow paper wasps were predating on grubs and adults Prasad and Pal (2015) and Singh et al. (2017) also of Mexican beetle (Figs. 3-4), and relatively maximum reported Mexican beetle’s predation by two spotted Observations on mexican beetle Zygogramma bicolorata with new records of its predation 3 Anand Harshana

Fig. 5. P. bioculatus adult predating on Mexican beetle grub Fig. 8. Rhynocoris cf. fuscipes nymph feeding on Mexican beetle grub

Eocanthecona furcellata were observed feeding on the grubs of Mexican beetle (Fig. 7). Similarly, Gupta et al. (2004), Sushilkumar (1997, 2005) and Singh et al. (2017) reported predation by E. furcellata. The assassin bug Rhynocoris cf. fuscipes was reported for first time as natural enemy of Mexican beetle in the present study. The nymphs of Rhynocoris bugs were feeding on the grubs (Fig. 8) by puncturing the cuticle with proboscis and sucking the haemolymph.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Fig. 6. P. bioculatus nymph predating The author thanks Dr Debjani Dey (Division of on Mexican beetle grub Entomology, IARI, New Delhi) for her encouragement. I also thank Dr P Girish Kumar (ZSI, WGRC, Kozhikode, Kerala), Dr Salini S (ICAR-NBAIR, Bengaluru), Dr Kitherian Sahayaraj (St. Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu), Dr Ankita Gupta (ICAR-NBAIR, Bengaluru), Dr Dunston P Ambrose (St Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu), Dr Paramita Mukherjee (Post-Doctoral Fellow, ZSI, Kolkata) for suggestions related to identification of specimens.

REFERENCES

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(Manuscript Received: August, 2020; Revised: September, 2020; Accepted: October, 2020; Online Published: December, 2020) Online published (Preview) in www.entosocindia.org Ref. No. 20309