Diversity of Natural Enemies Associated with Lac Insect Kerria lacca (Kerr) in Punjab

A survey was conducted to record the diversity of lac insect Kerria lacca (Kerr) associated natural enemies (predators/ parasitoids) during 2019-2020. In katki crop, the abundance of natural enemies ranged from 1.08 to 44.09%. There were three parasitoids viz, Parechthrodryinus clavicornis (Cameron) (1.08%), Aprostocteus purpureus (Cameron) (26.88%), Tachardiaephagus tachardiae somervilli (2.15%); and two predators; Chrysoperla zastrowi sillemi (5.38%), Eublemma amabilis (44.09%) and only one hyperparasitoid viz; Bracon greeni (Ashm.) (20.43%). Shannon-Weiner diversity index, evenness index and dominance index for natural enemies was found to be 0.67, 0.80 and 0.20. In baisakhi crop, the abundance ranged from 6.56 to 45.90% with maximum abundance of predator E. amabilis (45.90%) and the least of parasitoid T. tachardiae How. (6.56%); and the Shannon-Weiner diversity index, evenness index and dominance index was 0.65, 0.77 and 0.23, respectively.