Research Note : Natural parasitization by certain parasitoids on the pests of field crops RENU YADAV, NEELAM YADAV, RANJANA YADAV AND R.R. KATIYAR International Journal of Plant Protection (October, 2010), Vol. 3 No. 2 : 408-409 See end of the article for authors’ affiliations Correspondence to : SUMMARY NEELAM YADAV The extensive and intensive survey of various insect pests attacking different Kharif and Rabi crops Department of recorded certain parasitoids on different stages of crop pests. The promising parasitoids were Apanteles Zoology, D.A.V. (P.G.) flavipes, Apanteles plutellae and Apanteles angaleti and their respective parasitization was noticed to College, KANPUR the range of 7.5 to 20 per cent. These parasitoids may prove very useful in controlling the population of (U.P.) INDIA several noxious insect pests infesting field crops. he Braconidae constitute the most obliqua, Plutella xylostella, Helicoverpa Timportant and largest group of parasitic armigera, Chilo partellus, Sylepta derogata insects (Piper, 2007) which comprise a large and Eucosma critica were observed, feeding array of wasps which are primarily parasites on different crops. on lepidopterous larvae. A large number of The certain parasitoids have been Braconid parasites have been utilized in recorded parasiting naturally on various biological control programmes against insect stages of crop pests viz., Apanteles species pests of crops (Oatman and Platner, 1971 and (Spodoptera litura, Spilosoma obliqua, Rawat and Panwar 1993). The study was Pieris brassicae, Plutella xylostella, conducted to search most virulent species as Helicoverpa armigera, Cnephalocrosis a biocontrol agent, which is altogether medinalis, Chilo partellus, Earias vitella, Key words : economically viable, socially acceptable and Sylepta derogata, Eucosma critica) and Parasitoids, environmentally safer, for man and Bracon sp. (Helicoverpa armigera, Apanteles sp., biosphere. Spodoptera litura). Braconid parasitoids Crop pests, An experiment was carried out in have been observed parasitizing on different Braconidae Department of Entomology at C.S.A. species of insect pests in which Apanteles University of Agriculture and Technology, spp. were dominant predominating (Table 1) Kanpur to study the natural parasitization by a minimum of 7.5 and maximum 20.0 per cent different parasitoids on the pests of field crops. parasitization on different species of crop The Braconid parasites were collected for pests. The higher (20%) parasitization was natural parasitization. recorded in Eucosma critica, occurring The different species of Braconid parasites naturally. Mitchell, 2000; Kunnalaca and were collected on major crops and sent for Mueller, 1979; Boling and Pitre, 1970 and identification to the Division of Entomology, Chandra Mohan, 1994 reported for IARI, New Delhi. Hand net sweeping was parasitoids. found to be the most effective ways of collecting Braconid parasites. A relatively good diversity of species were collected in the earmarked sites where wide varieties of flowering plants surrounded by several different kinds of bushes were occurring. In an extensive survey of various insect pests attacking on different Kharif and Rabi Accepted : September, 2010 crops (Table 1), Spodoptera litura, Spilosoma lHIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTEl RENU YADAV, NEELAM YADAV, RANJANA YADAV AND R.R. KATIYAR 409 Table 1 : Natural parasitisation of pest insect species infesting various field crops Parasitisation Sr. Common name of the Scientific name Crop Extent of No. pest Parasitoid parasitisation (%) 1. Tobacco caterpillar Spodoptera litura (Fabr.) Cauliflower and Apanteles flavipes 7.5 (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae) cabbage (Hymenoptera : Braconidae) 2. Bihar hairy caterpillar Spilarctia (Spilosoma) obliqua Castor, arhar and Apanteles flavipes 9.5 (Walk.) pea (Hymenoptera : (Lepidoptera : Arctiidae) Bracoidae) 3. Diamond back moth Plutella xylostella (Linn.) Cabbage and Apanteles plutellae 10.9 (Lepidoptera : Plutellidae) cauliflower (Hymenoptera Braconidae) 4. Gram pod borer Helicoverpa armigera (Hubn.) Gram and Apanteles flavipes 12.5 (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae) chickpea (Hymenoptera : Braconidae) 5. Jowar stem borer Chilo partellus (Swinh.) Jower and maize Apanteles flavipes 8.0 (Lepidoptera: Pyralididae) (Hymenoptera : Braconidae) 6. Cotton leaf roller Sylepta derogata (Fabr.) Cotton Apanteles flavipes 9.5 (Lepidoptera: Pyralididae) (Hymenoptera : Braconidae) 7. Arhar leaf folder Eucosma critica(Hyco.) Arhar Apanteles angaleti 20.0 (Lepidoptera : Eucosmidae) (Hymenoptera : Braconidae) Kunnalaca, S. and Muller, A.J. (1979). Study of Apanteles Authors’ affiliations: marginiventris, a parasitoid of green clover worm. RENU YADAV, Department of Zoology, C.C.S. (P.G.) Environmental Entomology, 8 : 365-368. College, Heorna, ETAWAH (U.P.) INDIA Mitchell, A. (2000). Stage by stage comparison of parasitoids RANJANA YADAV, Department of Zoology, N.D. important in biocontrol of cabbage pests, United States College, Chhibramau, KANPUR (U.P.) INDIA Department of Agriculture (USDA). R.R. KATIYAR, Department of Entomology, C.S.A. University of Agriculture and Technology, KANPUR Oatman, E.R. and Platner, G.R. (1971). Biological control of the tomato fruit worm, cabbage looper, and hornworms on (U.P.) INDIA processing tomatoes in Southern California, using mass releases of Trichogramma pretiosum, J. Economic Entomol., REFERENCES 64 : 501-506. Boling, J.C. and Pitre, H.N. (1970). Life history of Apanteles Piper, Ross (2007). Extraordinary animals : An encyclopedia marginiventris with description of immature stages. J. Kanas of curious and unusual animals, Green Wood Press. Entomological Soc., 43 : 465-470. Rawat, U.S. and Panwar, A.D. (1993). Biocontrol of tomatofruit Chandra Mohan, N. (1994). Seasonal incidence of diamond borer, Heliothis armigera (Hubn.) in Himachal Pradesh, India back moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) and its parasitoids in Nilgiris. Pl. Prot. Bull., 45 : 34-36. J. Biol. Control, 8 : 77-80. ******* [Internat. J. Plant Protec., 3 (2) October, 2010] lHIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTEl.