Seasonal incidence of coccids in flower and medicinal crops in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The seasonal incidence of coccids on flower and medicinal crops was studied at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during 2018-2019. The incidence of the coccids was noticed in first week of July with an average population of 35 insects/5cm. The coccids incidence showed positive correlation with the maximum and minimum temperature and it was negatively correlated with all other abiotic factors. In this study, nine species of coccinellid predators such as Cheilomenes sexmaculatus (Fabricius), Pharoscymnus horni (Weise), Coccinella transversalis (Fabricius), Hyperaspis maindroni Vauloger, Propylea dissecta (Mulsant), Scymnus coccivora Aiyar, Scymnus sp., Cybocephalus sp. and Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Mulsant) and three species of parasitoids viz., Tetrastichus sp., Coccophagus sp., Euryischomyia sp. Spalgius epius found to feed on eggs and adults of mealybugs.