Biology and Morphometric Studies of Two Tailed Mealybug Ferrisia virgata Cockerell (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera) with Four C. indica Wight and Arn. Cultivars

Ferrisia viragta cockerell is the polyphagous and deleterious threat in agricultural crop production system. Biological and morphometric studies were meticulously conducted on Coccinia indica Wight and Arn. in Biological Control Laboratory, Department of Entomology, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai to alleviate and manage this insect in crop production system. C. indica is traditional medicinal herb and vine which is recently become magnanimous and very conspicuous due to their medicinal properties. In C. indica production system striped mealybug F. virgata found often and produce serious economic threat through attack tender stems, leaves as well as fruits. Four different C. indica cultivars were used to reveal the biology of F. virgata. Amongst that less developmental period was noticed in Wild round and Naadu than Wild elliptical and Kattai cultivars respectively. Adult longevity and total life cycle also the same trend was recorded.