Occurrence of Fruit Chafer Beetle Protaeitia Alboguttata (Vigors) on Fig

Severe infestation of a fruit chafer beetle, identified as Protaeitia alboguttata (Vigors) (Coleoptera: Scarabeidae: Cetoniinae) was recorded on fig (Ficus carica L.) at the ICAR- Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru. The adults of beetle fed on matured fruits of fig (cv. Poona) gregariously (2-12/ fruit). Out of 68 plants which were in fruiting stage, 31 (accounting to 45.58%) were found attacked. The number of beetles feeding on a single fruit ranged from 2 to 12 (mean 4.56) and 75.8% of ripened fruits were affected. Findings highlight the expanding host range of P. alboguttata as there are no previous records of it infesting fig fruits.