Division Of Entomology Research Articles

Nectar Feeding and Dearth Period Management in Indian Honey Bee <i>Apis cerana</i> (F)

There have been many attempts to reduce the loss of Indian honey bee Apis cerana (F) colonies during the dearth period by supplementing nectar feeding substitutes. An experiment on development and evaluation of nectar feeding substitutes was conducted at an apiary maintained at the Division of Entomology, SKUAST-K, Shalimar from July to September during 2020-21. Syrup containing apple juice, sugar and mixture of both were evaluated as a diet supplement to develop an efficient feeding substitute. These include: T1 - apple juice and sugar in the ratio of 1:1; T2 - apple juice and sugar in the ratio of 1.5:1; T3- apple juice alone and T4 - sugar syrup in the ratio of 1:1 and compared with T5 natural feeding to determine their impact on desirable attributes of colonies. A gradual increase in the colony performance index (CPI), space covered by eggs (sq cm), larvae (sq cm) and pupae (sq cm) was observed, which were maximum with apple juice and sugar in the ratio of 1.5:1 viz; CPI (13.28); space covered by eggs (204.25 sq cm); larvae (296.12 sq cm); pupae (484.41 sq cm). All parameters were found to be least in T5 (natural feeding). Thus, apple juice and sugar in the ratio of 1.5:1 (T2 ) was the best nectar feeding substitute.

Morphomolecular characterization of invasive fruit borer infesting apple

Apple, a vital fruit crop worldwide and a major crop grown in northern parts of India, acts as a backbone for the survival and livelihood of the farming community. However, it is prone to severe damage from insect pests and diseases. In the past few years, due to erratic weather patterns, there has been an alarmingly increased infestation of different insect pests, both invasive and non-invasive, resulting in substantial economic losses to this industry. One similar case was seen in the Himalayan region of India, where the apple crop in Karewas was heavily damaged by some invasive fruit borer, feeding on pulp and making galleries to reach the seed locules, thereby destroying the seed material. To ascertain the true identity of this pest, a study based on morpho-molecular characterization of this pest was carried out in the Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, SKUAST Kashmir, India, during the years 2021 and 2022. The invasive fruit samples were collected from apple orchards at different locations (experimental sites) in North India by installing delta sticky traps @ 5 traps/ha for moth collection. The fruit-boring larvae and pupa were also collected and reared in confined chambers of the laboratory with controlled temperature and humidity. All the laboratory investigations were conducted at the Division of Entomology, FoA, Wadura, SKUAST Kashmir. During the investigation, it was confirmed that the invasive borer is a codling moth (Cydia pomonella L.), a member of the family Tortricidae, order Lepidoptera, which was earlier having quarantine importance in India, as it was only present in the Ladakh region of India. From the phylogenetic analysis of sample sequences, the species of codling moth present at all experimental sites was more identical to the codling moth sequence from Leh (the northernmost arid region), India. Further, the study of life cycle and voltinism revealed that codling moth completes three generations per year in Kashmir, with a single cycle lasting up to 2.5 months. However, the timing of various generations varies, depending on prevailing weather conditions at specific locations and times. The number of generations completed by codling moth in Kashmir conditions during apple growing season was three full and a half overwintering generations. The study of the life cycle of this important pest was necessary to know the weak link for its effective management and to prevent the economic loss in apple fruit.

Insecticidal Activity of Different Doses of Acorus calamus Essential Oil against Sitophilus oryzae

The toxicity of different doses (3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 percent) of Acorus calamus essential oil, against insect pest Sitophilus oryzae were evaluated in the laboratory of Division of Entomology, FoA, Wadura, SKUAST-Kashmir during the year 2022. The various concentrations of Acorus calamus essential oil had significant effect on mortality of Sitophilus Oryzae. The highest mortality of 74.27 percent was recorded in 70 µl concentration of Acorus calamus essential oil on 12 Hours After Treatment (HAT) followed by 60 (71.01%), 50 (67.15%) and 40 (39.11%) µl concentration while untreated control recorded 5.13 percent mortality respectively. However, on 24 HAT the cumulative mortality increased to 76.35 in 70µl, 74.11 in 60 and 50 µl, 43.01 in 40 µl concentration. On 72 HAT the concentrations of 70, 60 and 50 µl recorded 94.11, 91.27 and 90.11 percent mortality respectively, while only 7.05 percent mortality was recorded in untreated control.

First Death Anniversary of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Aslam khan (1932-2023)

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Aslamkhan died peacefully on February 20, 2023, in Lahore, Pakistan. Prof. Aslamkhan was the founding head of the Human Genetics and Molecular Biology Department of the University of Health Sciences Lahore (UHS). He was also a Director of Sports and cocurricular activities at the UHS. His services to UHS were brought by the Higher Education Commission’s project entitled “strengthening of basic medical sciences at UHS, ” commonly known as SBMS as a project director. This project not only brought a lot of funding for the establishment of research facilities at the UHS but also employment opportunities for young people. Prof. Aslamkhan received his Doctorate of Science (D.Sc.) in Genetics and Anthropology from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, in 1963, after his master's degree from Punjab University (1953). He was among the founding fellows of the Biological Society of Pakistan (1956) and the Zoological Society of Pakistan (1968). In 1968, he was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, London. Later, the Pakistan Academy of Medical Sciences awarded him a fellowship in 1985. His professional services include academic and research affiliations with the provincial bodies of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). He served as Deputy Chief for the Division of Medical Entomology of the International Center for Medical Research and Training (ICMRT) at the Pakistan Medical Research Center, Lahore. Later, he became the Chief of Malaria Vector Research at ICMRT. This was the time when he studied the bionomics of mosquito species in Pakistan, which serves as a reference (1). While affiliated with the University of Maryland School of Medicine, he extended his research towards vector-borne diseases of public health importance (2-10). After retirement from the University of Maryland, he worked as an independent consultant for several national and international bodies. Later, he joined the Higher Education Commission’s project SBMS as Project Director. During this affiliation, he also launched the first department of Human Genetics in the country at UHS Lahore. This department is still operational and produces many PhDs in human genetics, working at various reputable organizations in and outside the country. The department’s objective was to study the basics of genetic diseases in the country, and it has been doing very well until today. Prof. Aslamkhan’s research on genetic diseases has mainly focused on the role of consanguinity in gene pooling in the Pakistani population (11-13). Over the past several years, he has also voluntarily offered genetic counselling to patients with hemoglobinopathies at Sundas Foundation Lahore. He also studied the public health dynamics of blood donors at the Sundas Foundation in addition to genetic counselling (14, 15). He was also recognized as an Eminent Professor of Genetics by Higher Education Commission. In 2017, he founded The International Journal of Frontier Sciences and became its first editor-in-chief until he died last year. I am publishing this obituary at his first death anniversary on February 20, 2024, praying for his eternal peace. I wish him to rest in peace in his life in hereafter. Ameen!

First Report of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ (16SrI-B) Associated with Phyllody Disease of Moth Bean in World

Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia), a drought and heat-resistant legume from the Fabaceae family, is commonly cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions of the Indian subcontinent In September 2022, phyllody symptoms (Figure 1) were observed on 50-days-old moth bean plants at the ICAR-NBPGR research farm in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. The disease incidence ranged from 10 to 25%. To investigate the cause, ten symptomatic VacoJod (1-10) and ten asymptomatic VacoJod (11-20) Vigna aconitifolia plants were collected. Insect populations were also collected from the vicinity using the sweep-net method to examine the role of insect vectors. The leafhopper was identified based on morphological characterization as Empoasca sp. at the Division of Entomology, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi. DNA was extracted from midribs of all collected plants and the Empoasca sp., using Qiagen DNeasy Plant Mini Kit and Blood and Tissue kit, respectively. Nested polymerase chain reaction (Nested-PCR) with universal primers P1/P7 and R16F2n/R16R2 (Deng and Hiruki, 1991; Gundersen and Lee, 1996), and secA gene primers (secAfor1/secArev3 and secAfor2/secArev3) (Hodgetts et al., 2008) were employed to determine phytoplasma species association. Out of the 10 symptomatic plants and 10 leafhopper samples, 6 leafhopper samples and all symptomatic plants produced expected band sizes for the 16S rRNA (approximately 1.25 kb) and secA gene (480 bp). The PCR products were cloned, sequenced, and sequences (two each from moth bean and leafhopper) were submitted to NCBI GenBank with accession numbers OP941130, OP941132, OP941133 and OP941134 for 16S rRNA and OP958868, OP958869, OP958870, and OP958871 for secA gene sequences. Nucleotide BLAST analysis of 16S rRNA sequences revealed a minimum of 99.92% similarity with 'Primula acaulis' yellows phytoplasma (KJ494340) from Czech Republic. All 100% hits corresponded to 16SrI-B group phytoplasmas, for example rapeseed phyllody phytoplasma (CP055264) from Taiwan. Similarly, nucleotide BLAST analysis of secA sequences revealed a minimum of 99.15% sequence similarity with Paulownia witches'-broom phytoplasma (secA) (OP124308) from China. All 100% hits were of 16SrI-B group phytoplasmas, for example Ageratum conyzoides yellowing phytoplasma (MW401697, secA) from India. Phylogenetic analysis using MEGA11 (Tamura et al., 2021) clustered the moth bean and Empoasca sp. phytoplasma strains with 16SrI-B phytoplasma reference strains. iPhyClassifier tool classified the 16S rRNA gene sequences into 16Sr group I, subgroup B, with a similarity coefficient of 1.0 (Figure 2a, 2b). This marks the first report of the association of 'Ca. P. asteris' 16SrI-B related phytoplasma strain with moth bean plants globally. The 16SrI-B phytoplasma strain is prevalent in various crops in India (Singh et al., 2023). This report emphasizes the epidemiological studies and highlights the need for further research and preventive measures to manage the spread of this phytoplasma strain, which could impact crop production and food security in hot and dry regions.

Entomological data from the first year of the Forensic Entomology Division formalization at Santa Catarina Scientific Police

Entomological data from the first year of the Forensic Entomology Division formalization at Santa Catarina Scientific Police

A new species of leafhopper genus Sophonia (Evacanthinae: Cicadellidae: Hemiptera) from India.

A new evacanthine leafhopper of the tribe Nirvanini, Sophonia submodesta sp. n. (Himachal Pradesh: Nauni), is described and illustrated from India. An annotated key is provided for the identification of all 17 species known under the genus Sophonia reported from the Indian subcontinent. Type material is deposited in the National Pusa Collection, Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), New Delhi, India.

Degradation of selected organophosphorus pesticide residues and their pre harvest interval determination in hyacinth bean grown commercially in Bangladesh

The consumers are very much concerned about food safety. To ensure safe food for the consumers, it is essential to follow the pre harvest interval (PHI) of pesticides. Therefore, in order to ascertain the pre-harvest interval of fenitrothion and diazinon in hyacinth bean in the environmental conditions of Bangladesh, this study was started. The chosen organophosphorus insecticides (fenitrothion and diazinon) were sprayed with the recommended dose (1.5 ml/L of water) in a field trial at the Entomology Division of BARI, Gazipur. At 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 12 days after spray (DAS), samples were taken. The Gas chromatography (GC) with a Flame Thermionic Detector (FTD) was used to quantify the residues after the samples were prepared using a modified Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) extraction method. Fenitrothion residue was found up to 8 DAS, and at 7 DAS (0.018 mg/Kg), the level of residue was above the MRL. At 8 DAS, the fenitrothion residue was 0.007 mg/kg, which was below MRL. Pre-harvest interval (PHI) for fenitrothion was determined at 8 DAS, and no residue was found after 9 DAS. Diazinon residue was found up to 9 DAS, with the level of residue above the MRL at 8 DAS (0.016 mg/Kg). At 9 DAS, the diazinon residue was 0.007 mg/kg, which was below MRL. Pre-harvest interval (PHI) was determined for diazinon at 9 DAS, and as of 10 DAS, no residue was found. Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2023, 8 (2), 30-37

Determination of pre harvest interval for selected pesticides in hyacinth bean in the agro-climatic conditions of Bangladesh

The present study was conducted to determine the pre harvest interval of chlorpyrifos and quinalphos in hyacinth bean in the agro-climatic condition of Bangladesh to ensure safe food for the consumers. A supervised field trial was undertaken in the experimental field of Entomology Division of BARI, Gazipur and the selected pesticides (chlorpyrifos and quinalphos) were sprayed with the recommended dose (1.5 ml/L of water). The samples were collected at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 days after spray (DAS). The collected samples were extracted and cleaned up using modified Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) extraction technique and the residues were determined by Gas Chromatography (GC) coupled with Flame Thermionic Detector (FTD). The residue of chlorpyrifos was detected upto 8 DAS (0.027 mg/Kg) at a level above the EU-MRL, and at 9 DAS, no residue was detected. So, the PHI for chlorpyrifos was set at 9 DAS. On the other hand, the residue of quinalphos was detected upto 9 DAS, of which the level of residue was above EU-MRL upto 8 DAS (0.02 mg/kg). At 9 DAS, the quinalphos residue remained 0.009 mg/Kg, which was below EU-MRL. So, the PHI for quinalphos was set at 9 DAS. Asian Australas. J. Food Saf. Secur. 2023, 7 (1), 47-55

Monitoring of pesticide residues in yard long bean collected from Mymensingh district of Bangladesh

The farmers of our country mostly depend on chemical pesticides for crop protection due to the scarcity of competent pesticide alternatives and enough knowledge of safe pest management. As a result, there is a great possibility to remain residues in the harvested crops. Keeping this view, this study was conducted to analyze organophosphorus pesticide residues in yard long bean collected from five local markets of Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. The collected samples were carried to the Pesticide Analytical Laboratory, Entomology Division of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur on the same sampling day. The collected samples were analyzed using Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) extraction technique and Gas Chromatography (GC) coupled with Flame Thermionic Detector (FTD). Among the 30 samples of yard long bean, 3 samples (10% of the total samples) contained residue of quinalphos, of which 2 samples contained quinalphos residue above MRL. This study reflects the overall scenario of pesticide residue remain in the harvested yard long bean collected from local markets of Mymensingh city. Therefore, monitoring of pesticide residues in vegetables should be strengthened. Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2023, 8 (1), 8-16

First record of leafhopper genus Satsumanus Ishihara from India (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with description of a new species.

The leafhopper genus Satsumanus Ishihara of tribe Opsiini is newly reported from India based on a new species, Satsumanus chajingensis Rajgopal & Stuti sp. nov. (Manipur: Imphal West), here described and illustrated. Materials are deposited in the National Pusa Collection, Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India. Photographic illustrations, a species checklist, key to species of the genus and distribution map are provided.

MORPHOMETRIC STUDIES OF GREEN APPLE APHID (APHIS POMI DE GEER) (APHIDIDAE: HEMIPTERA)

Aphids are one of the major pests which harm crops worldwide. Among them green apple aphid (Aphis pomi) is one of the most important species of aphids commonly occurring in apple orchards of Kashmir. For controlling these aphids, the morphological identification is one of the important key. Therefore morphometry of Aphis pomi was studied using Scanning Electron Microscope in the division of Entomology. In this study the measurement of different instars of Aphis pomi were undertaken viz, width and length of body, wings and legs. The morphometric analysis showed gradual developmental variations from first instar to adult stage in size, shape, colour and number of characters. The body length and breadth of different nymphal stages of Aphis pomi were (0.72±0.02) x (0.33±0.01), (0.92±0.01) x (0.49±0.02), (1.05±0.03) x (0.64±0.02) and (1.21±0.05) x (0.78±0.03) respectively. The Adult Aphids range in colour from light green to dark green, with an orange-yellow head having body breadth (1.02±0.21) mm and length (1.52±0.07) mm.

First official record of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Acre State, Northern Brazil.

Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse, 1854) was reported in Brazil for the first time in 1986 and has shown marked expansion throughout the Brazilian territory. During a routine activity to control dengue fever conducted by the Division of Entomology of the Municipal Health Department in Rio Branco city, adults and immatures of Culicidae were collected in a peri-urban area. The identified Culicidae forms indicated that they belonged to the species Ae. albopictus. This is the first official record of the presence of Ae. albopictus in the Acre State, confirming its current presence in all Brazilian states.

Animal Manure Nutrition to Promote Arthropod Pest Management in Vegetable Production

Modern Concepts & Developments in Agronomy Animal Manure Nutrition to Promote Arthropod Pest Management in Vegetable Production Satyapriya Singh1,2*, Sujan Majumder3, and Priyanka Nayak4 1Central Horticultural Experiment Station, (ICAR-IIHR), India 2ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India 3ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, India 4Institute of Agricultural Sciences, SOA, India *Corresponding author:Satyapriya Singh, Central Horticultural Experiment Station (ICAR-IIHR), Division of Entomology, Odisha, India Submission: July 27, 2022;Published: August 09, 2022 DOI: 10.31031/MCDA.2022.11.000759 ISSN 2637-7659Volume11 Issue 2

Analysis of pesticide residues in vegetables purchased from local markets of Mymensingh district of Bangladesh based on QuEChERS Extraction and Gas Chromatography

The study was conducted to analyze organophosphorus pesticide residues in two common vegetables (cauliflower and eggplant) collected from five local markets of Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. The collected samples were carried to the Pesticide Analytical Laboratory, Entomology Division of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur on the same sampling day. The collected samples were analyzed using Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) extraction technique and Gas Chromatography (GC) coupled with Flame Thermionic Detector (FTD). In total, 60 vegetable samples were analyzed in this study. Out of 30 analyzed samples of cauliflower, 5 samples (17% of the total number of samples) contained residues of dimethoate, chlorpyrifos and quinalphos, where 3 samples contained residues above the maximum residue limits (MRLs). Among the 30 analyzed samples of eggplant, 5 samples (17% of the total number of samples) contained residues of chlorpyrifos, quinalphos, and dimethoate, where only one sample contained residues above MRL. This study reflects the actual scenario of pesticide residues remain in cauliflower and eggplant collected from local markets of Mymensingh district, which will help the consumer to be aware of their health and safety. Thus, continuous monitoring of pesticide residues in vegetables should be strengthened. Asian Australas. J. Food Saf. Secur. 2022, 6 (1), 10-17

Efficacy of biorational insecticides for the management of mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) and spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus disperses (Russel) and their safety to coccinellid beetles on guava

Field experiment on effectiveness of different biorational insecticides against mealybug (Maconellicoccus hirsutus Green) and spiralling whitefly (Aleurodicus disperses Russel) and their safety to natural enemies in guava were carried out at Experimental Farm, Division of Entomology and Nematology, IIHR, Bangalore, India during 2015-16. All the treatments were significantly superior over untreated check. Results indicated that the maximum reduction of mealybug population was recorded in the treatment of organic salt 30 WS @ 5 ml/l (2.32 mealy bugs/three shoots) followed by spinosad 45 SC @ 0.2 ml/l (2.45 mealy bugs/three shoots) after first and second spray respectively. Whereas less population of spiralling whitefly was recorded in spinosad treated plot (2.06 spiralling whiteflies/three leaves). Safety of natural enemy’s concern dimethoate 30 EC @1.6 ml/l, azadirachtin 10000 ppm @1 ml/l and Neem soap @ 10 g/l were found to be more harmful to coccinellid beetles and recorded very less beetle population, while Organic salt 30 WS @ 4 ml/l, L. lecanii @ 2 g/l and spinosad 45 SC @ 0.2 ml/l were the safest chemicals

First record of the ant genus Agraulomyrmex Prins, 1983 (Formicidae: Formicinae) from India, with description of a new species

ABSTRACT The formicine ant genus Agraulomyrmex Prins, 1983 is recorded from Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, India, and a new species Agraulomyrmex damohensis sp. nov. is described based on a single worker specimen. This genus is reported outside of the Afrotropical region for the first time. The new species is compared with the two described species of the genus from Africa and it differs from them by having nine segmented antennae. This species has been placed in genus Agraulomyrmex based on the structure of the mesosoma (i.e. absence of mesometanotal suture and metanotal groove), presence of nine segmented antennae without distinct club, and absence of ocelli. Holotype is deposited in the National Pusa Collection, Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8F948505-D833-47BE-B324-63B113034CFC

A new bamboo-feeding species, Mohunia manohari sp. nov., (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) and first record of the genus from India.

A new record for the leafhopper genus Mohunia Distant from India is provided with description of Mohunia manohari sp. nov. (Arunachal Pradesh: Basar). Type material is deposited in the National Pusa Collection, Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India. Illustrations habitus and male genitalia of healthy and parasitized males are given along with an annotated checklist to species of the genus.

Characterization of native Bacillus thuringiensis strains against storage pest Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

Fifty one Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) like bacteria were isolated from diverse sources, viz. soil, silo dusts, insect cadaver, and phyllosphere and evaluated by feeding bioassays against larvae and adults of coleopteran pest red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) in Division of Entomology, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi during 2014-15. It is a common pest known for attacking and infesting stored grains or products. Fifteen potential Bt strains were shortlisted on the basis of preliminary screening by single dose assays at 100 μg/g of diet against larvae and adults of T. castaneum. The virulence (LC50) of potential isolates was further assessed. The most effective Bt isolate was VKK-GJ4 (LC50=7.02 μg/g of diet) against neonates followed by VKK-GA6 (LC50=19.03 μg/g of diet) against adults of T. castaneum. Gene profiling of potential Bt strains revealed the presence of cry1, cry3, cry7, cry8, cry9, cry11, cry24 and cry28 gene. However, in three Bt strains, viz. JK-5, Tri5-5 and JKII3-2 no cry gene was found but they showed insecticidal activity against T. castaneum. Thus, quantification of the toxicity by insect bioassay is the only way to assess the potential of a strain for the pest control.

New record of the genus Baseprocessa (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae) from India with description of a new species

The coelidiinae leafhopper genus Baseprocessa Fan Li is newly recorded from India based on the description of B. patkaensis Meshram sp. nov. and a proposed new combination, B. serratispatulata (Viraktamath Meshram) comb. nov. Materials are deposited in the National Pusa Collection, Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India. Photographic illustrations, checklist and key to species of this genus along with a distribution map are also provided.