Feeding Potential Different Species of Syrphid Larva on Aphis fabae Scopoli Infesting Solanum nigrunl in Mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Solanum nigrum L., which is an important medicinal plant, is attacked by Aphis fabae Scopoli in mid hills of Himachal Pradesh. Syrphid larvae of different species feed 011 this aphid and considerably reduce its population. Consumption of different instars of the aphid by the larvae of Eupeodes frequens Matsumura, Eupeodes confrater (Wiedemann) and Scaeva pyrastri (Linnaeus) was studied under laboratory conditions which revealed that the maximum number of 1 instar nymphs of A. Fabae were consumed by the larva of E. Coufrater (64.33 nymphs) followed by S. Pyrastri (41.78 nymphs) and E. Frequens (34.44 nymphs). However, the consumption rate of the larvae of these syrphid species was comparatively less for the subsequent nymphal instars. The consumption rate for the IV instar nymph was 13.11,6.44 and 10.67 nymphs, respectively, for the larvae of E. Fraquens, E. Confrater and S. Pyrastri revealing thereby that syrphid larvae are able to manage the population of this aphid species in the early stage (I instar nymph) of settling of aphids on the host.