Division of Entomology, S.K. University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar - 191 121 (J&K), India. E-mail: <akhtaralikhan47@rediffmail.com>.
A study was conducted to assess the safety of six pesticides viz., oberon, fenpyroximate, dentop, milbeknock, propargite and thiocioprid on scale feeder coccinellids, Chilocorus infernalis and mixed population of five abundant species of aphidophagous coccinellids in apple orchard of Kashmir viz., Harmonia eucharis, Calvia punctata, Adalia tetraspilota, Coccinella septempunctata, Hippodamia variegata. The mortality of both scale feeder as well as aphidophagous coccinellids increased with increased pesticidal concentration and time interval. Among all tested pesticides, fenpyroximate was found safer to both scale feeder and aphidophagous coccinellids. Oberon and thiocloprid were intermediate in their safety to scale feeder coccinellids.
Aphidophagous coccinellids, Pesticides, Relative, toxicity
