Dynamics of plant hoppers diversity in Kolli Hills, Tamilnadu, India

Abstract

In India planthoppers population is fluctuating due to mosaic model of agriculture practices. Traditional communities with their small scale farm practice which also involves integrated pest management and traditional resource management techniques generally such pest are not devastating in nature. However, the present study was able to identify 22 planthopper species in 16 genera Cemus levicula, Euidella horvathi, Harmalia anacharsis, Latistria testacea, Nilaparvata lugens, Opiconsiva balteata, Peregrinus maidis, Perkinsiella saccharicida, Perkinsiella sinensis, Purohita Cervina, Sardia rostrata, Sogatella furcifera, Sogatella vibix, Sogatella kolophon, Stenocranus distinct, Tagosodes pusanus, Terthronal bovittatum, Toya attenuate, Toya bridwelli, Toya propinqua, Tropidocephala flaviceps and Tropidocephala serendiba. The planthopper density was high at 750 meter amsl altitude, among the density of different planthoppers Nilaparvata lugens was significantly high in all paddy fields in all the altitude ranges with p value less than 0.001 followed by Sogatella vibix with p value less than 0.001.