Entomology Research Unit, St. Xavier's College, (Autonomous), Palayankottai-627 002, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, (India).
Stadial periods of nymphal Instars of Rhynocoris kumarii Ambrose and Livingstone reared on dry plant litter and green plant shoot were respectively 58.5±5.74 and 51.46±4.8 days and greatly shortened when compared with those reared on tissue and glutting papers (61.5±3.8 days), plastic substrate (66.8±5.91 days) and sand with stone substrata (65.4±3.4 days). Predator survival was better on green plant shoot (61.4±10.5%) than the other substrata such as plastic (34.8±15.4%), sand with stone (46.6±8.3%), tissue and glutting papers (53.7±9.8%), and dry plant litter (57.6±9.1%). Preoviposition period was shortened on the green plant shoot (20.81±3.4 days) and dry plant litter (21.4±1.73 days) substrata. Fresh adult body weights were slightly higher when R. kumorii was reared on four varied susbstrata, viz., sand and stone, dry plant litter, tissue and gluttng paper, and green plant shoot, the fresh adult body were, (128.1±8.51, 133.2±15.3, 138.7±21.4 and 142.5±7.81 mg respectively) being slightly higher than those reared on untreated plastic substrata (120.4±10.5 mg). Fecundity was slgnifcantly higher on green plant shoot (158.9±14.6) substrate category.
