Department of Agricultural Entomology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641 003, Tamil Nadu (India).
*Present address: National Research Centre for Cashew, Shanthigodu, Puttur (D.K.) 574 202, Karnataka (India).
The salivary glands of Helopeltis antonii Sign. consisted of a pair of tetralobed principal gland and a pair of long tubular accessory glands with reservoirs situated lateral to first midgut. Adult female had larger sized salivary gland than nymphs and adult male. The pH of principal and accessory gland was in between 6.8 and 7.6. Both the hydrolytic (protease and lipase) and oxido-reductase enzymes (catechol oxidase, peroxidase and catalase), and free amino acids were detected. These enzymes and the free amino acids were implicated in the initiation of phytotoxaemia as well as detoxification of defensive phy- tochemicals.
