Biodiversity of lepidopteron pests (Insecta) and their Natural Bio-Control agents associated with vegetable crops in J&K

Abstract

Lepidoptera is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths. The larvae of many lepidopteron species are serious pests of agriculturally important crops. The vegetable crops in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) are also infested by a number of lepidopteron pests causing significant loss to the crop yield. This paper gives a consolidated account of lepidopteron pests and their natural bio-control agents associated with vegetable crops in J&K region. The present work, which was based on literature survey and extensive field studies, reveals that as many as 28 species of lepidopteron pests damage vegetable crops in Jammu and Kashmir. It has also been established through this work that 40 natural bio-control agents (parasitoids, predators and pathogens) work against the major lepidopteron pests to suppress their population in vegetable crop fields. This study will be useful in future studies for understanding of lepidopteron pests of this region. It will also be helpful for the studies which aim at planning and devising of Integrated Control of lepidopteron pests in this region.