Occurrence and seasonal incidence of sapota leaf webber, Nephopteryx eugraphella Ragonot on Mimusops elengi L.-A medicinal tree

Abstract

Studies on incidence and foliar damage by leaf webber, Nephopteryx eugraphella on Indian medlar,Mimusops elengi was carried out at ICAR- Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research at Anand, Gujarat during rainy season of 2019 and 2020. The identity of the pest was confirmed through morphological approach by dissecting the male and female genitalia of adult insects. The larvae of insect species were feed on younger leaves, apical shoots, flower buds and fruits of the host plant by making leaf folds. The incidence and foliar damage of leaf webber was ranged between 32-100 % and 4.86 to 32.53% during 2019, and it was 13.33-100 % and 5.80 to 42.07 % during 2020, respectively. The peak incidence and foliar damage was noticed during 36th Standard Metrological Week (SMW)in 2019 and 37th SMW in 2020. The correlation of leaf webber population with weather parameters showed that the per cent incidence and per cent leaf damage of N. eugraphella negatively correlated with maximum temperature and both the parameters positively correlated with minimum temperature, relative humidity (morning and evening) and rainfall during the study period