Three exotic whitefly pest species, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin, Aleurothrixus floccosus (Maskell) and A. trachoides (Back) have been recorded for the first time from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Severe infestation of A. floccosus on guava; A. rugioperculatus on coconut and Cinnamomum and A. trachoides on tomato, guava and glory bower was observed. Tomato and glory bower are new host plant records for A. trachoides, and Cinnamomum for A. trachoides. Puparial diagnosis and photographs of habitus are provided to facilitate identification of these species.

Cuticular hydrocarbons are the major organic compounds synthesized by oenocytes. The CHCs act as sex pheromones, cell communicators, inhibits dissection, and chemotaxonomic cues. The CHCs were isolated from non-Drosophila species Phorticella striata (Sajjan and Krishnamurthy, 1975) (Diptera, Drosophilidae) by employing whole body extract through GCMS method. Among the identified organic compounds, a total of 38 compounds were obtained from male flies and 68 organic compounds were isolated from female flies, Majority of the CHCs identified were methyl branched alkanes, some of them were esters and alcohols. Male flies exhibit 15 specific CHCs in which tetradecane, 2, 6, 10-trimethylwas dominant with a relative abundance (15.60%) and cyclopropane tetradecanoic acid was the least found CHCs with a relative abundance (RA) of 0.75 per cent. The flies exhibit 28 female specific CHC‘s, among them tetradecane was dominant (r value of 19.20%) and Iodomethyl undecane was the least (RA=0.70%). Both male and female flies shared 23 CHCs, but the ratio among them showed great variance. Among the shared CHCs 3-Trifluoroacetoxy dodecane was dominant in female (RA=14.50%), the male exhibited RA of 4.66 per cent. In male flies 3-Trifluoroacetoxy pentadecane was most abundant CHC (RA=10.90%), than female (4.31%).

Efficacy of some resistance inducers for reduction of Agrotis segetum (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in sugar beet was evaluated under field conditions. The inducers include salicylic acid, calcium silicate and sodium silicate which applied in two dosages, 100 and 50 per cent of recommended field dosages (RFD). The larval density in calcium silicate treatment was significantly lower than control (H”19.5%). However, other inducers, salicylic acid and sodium silicate, did not significantly affect the larval density. Reduction of the application dosage to 50 per cent RFD did not have significant effect on the inducer efficacy.

The paper presents the record of the poorly known endemic species of wood roach from India after a gap of almost 40 years. In India, discernible work has been done on the DNA barcode of cockroaches including the genus Salganea. This work forms the first mitochondrial DNA barcode for the species Salganea rehni Roth, 1979.

Studies on the development rate of Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) suggested that the blowfly as a significant candidate for forensic investigations. Under natural ambient conditions development rate of C. megacephala in monsoon, winter and summer seasons indicated significant differences among seasons. The larvae began pupation at 92nd h in summer, 157th h in the monsoon season and 191st h in winter. Rapid larval growth in terms of length was observed in summer. During summer, the length of the larvae increased to a maximum of 13.9 mm at 54th h. Time taken for the emergence of the adult fly was 164, 249 and 311h in summer, monsoon and winter seasons respectively. Life table studies were conducted to assess the percentage survival and mortality by recording the survival rate of different development stages. Molecular diagnosis of species was done using COI gene. The analysis included molecular sequences of other samples of the same species from different regions of India. The neighborjoining method allowed us to identify the species at molecular level with precision and accuracy.

Two linyphiid species, Mitrager rustica (Tanasevitch, 2015) and Neriene birmanica (Thorell, 1887) are reported from Kerala. M. rustica, endemic to India, is making its second report after 15 years and it is first report of N. birmanica from Kerala.

Ladybird beetles are predatory insects, which consumes everal insect pests and have immense biocontrol potential, particularly against aphids. In prey scarcity, they resort to intraguild predation (IGP) by consuming immature stages of other heterospecific ladybirds. A laboratory experiment was performed to quantify the incidence of IGP of first and second larval instars by older instars and adults of two co-occurring ladybird species, Propylea dissecta and Menochilus sexmaculatus. IGP of first and second larval instars increased significantly with increase in the larval stages followed by adult males and females. Predatory stages of M. sexmaculatus were more potential intraguild predators than those of P. dissecta. Among adults, the female consumed a greater number ofearly and weaker heterospecific instars. The presence of dorsal spines and hair on the larva of M. sexmaculatusprovided aposematism that helps in defense against superior heterospecific larvae thereby enabling its successful establishment and distribution. M. sexmaculatus could act as an intraguild predator in the fields and may contribute in declining the population density of P. dissecta during aphid-prey scarcity.

Differential aggregation of aphids on host plant parts may indicate site-specific optimal densities for efficient utilization of plant parts, besides the usual inference of preferential colonization. Differential densities of aphids within the plant were studied using the legume aphid Aphis craccivora Koch in cowpea Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. ssp. unguiculata. In field-collected infested sample stems and pods (n=60), colonies were demarcated, aphid colony size, length and circumference measured, and colony area and density calculated. The results indicated that colony dimensions and colony size were significantly higher in pod than in stem whereas colony density did not differ significantly between the two plant parts. Colony density was significantly higher in leaflets of top most leaf than in leaflets of top 2nd or 3rd leaf. Overall, the four plant parts could be graded in the descending order as stem>pod>leaflets of top most leaf> leaflets of top 2nd or 3rd leaf for colony density. Significant positive curvilinear and linear relationship between colony size and colony density in both stem and pod indicated that A. craccivora showed a propensity to spread out colonies at low populations but tended to compact them with a rise in population levels. Identical colony density in stem and pod suggested that the aphid may not require differential densities to overcome host defenses or utilize food from these two plant parts. In top most leaf and top 2nd or 3rd leaf, finite leaflet size apparently limits proliferation of the aphid. Higher density on top immature leaves could be more an outcome of nutritional suitability than the need to overcome host defenses. Variable colony densities on the four parts of V. unguiculata indicated differential optimal densities.

Mantid fauna of the forested tracts of different localities within the Goodrical forest range of the southern Western Ghats, Ranni forest division, Kerala, India were surveyed. During the Rapid Biodiversity Assessment (RBA) a total of 13 mantid specimens belonging to eight species under six families were collected. A new species Caliris mukherjeei sp. nov. (Haaniidae: Caliridinae) and two new records of rare mantids to Kerala viz., Ceratomantis ghatei Roy & Svenson, 2007 (Hymenopodidae: Oxypilinae) and Dysaulophthalma nathani Stiewe, 2009 (Eremiaphilidae: Iridinae) are reported with description and redescription.

Author:Dr. Eugene Sebastian J. NidiryPrincipal Scientist (Rtd.), Indian Council of Agricultural Research- Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru 560089, India
 Published by Notion Press, 2021. 330 pages