1Department of Entomology, Post Graduate College of Agriculture, Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur848125, Bihar, India
2Sugarcane Research Institute, Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur848125, Bihar, India
*Email: anil.kumar@rpcau.ac.in (corresponding author)
Online Published on 25 September, 2025.
Cryptogonus hainanensis Pang and Mao (Coccinellidae: Coleoptera) was found as a major predator of sugarcane aphid Melanaspis sacchari (Zehntner) in a study conducted at Samastipur district of Bihar during 2021-2023. The population dynamics of the aphid and C. hainanensis were studied. The aphid started colonizing in June, reached peak during August and almost vanished during late October. The rainfall pattern during the two-year varied significantly which affected the aphid. Correlation studies revealed that during 2021, minimum temperature exhibited positive and significant correlation (r=0.664). Also, maximum temperature and evening relative humidity were found positively correlated. The coccinellid occurrence had significant positive correlation with minimum temperature (r=0.603) in 2021 and evening relative humidity (r=0.640).
Sugarcane, Melanaspis sacchari predator-prey relationship, Coccinellids, Cryptogonus hainanensis Rajendra Ganna-1, Temperature, Relative humidity, Rainfall, Population dynamics
