First report of two insects, Megachile sp. and Armadillidium sp., as new pests on Flemingia spp. In Thrissur, Kerala

Abstract

A project entitled "Conservation of Lac Insect Genetic Resources" is underway at the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) at Peechi, Thrissur, Kerala, India. This project includes the maintenance of both a lac insect gene bank and a lac insect host plant gene bank. Two types of host plants, Flemingia semialata (F. semialata) and Flemingia macrophylla (F. macrophylla), are cultivated to support the lac insect, Kerria spp. In the month of May, it was observed that Megachile bees were cutting the leaves of F. semialata and using them to construct nests. Roly-poly (Armadillidium spp) insects were also found affecting the young leaves of seedlings of F. semialata and F. macrophylla at KFRI. These two insects, Megachile and Armadillidium, are newly reported for the first time on the plants of F. semialata and F. macrophylla in Kerala.