Biology of Helopeltis antonii Signoret and Pachypeltis measarum Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Miridae) on Cashew

Tea mosquito bug, Helopeltis antonii Signoret and mirid bug, Pachypeltis maesarum Kirkaldy damaged cashew during the growing season. The biology and feeding behaviour of H. antonii and P. maesarum were studied under laboratory and field conditions, respectively. The mean egg incubation and nymphal development period of H. antonii was 10.33 ± 0.48 and 13.19 ± 0.38 days, respectively. Adult life for males were 9.6 ± 0.70 days and female lived for a 12.4 ± 0.75 days. The mean fecundity of H. antonii per female was 28.80 ± 2.92 eggs. In field conditions, the mean egg incubation period of P. maesarum was 13.08 ± 0.73 days and the nymphal developmental period was 15.10 ± 0.38 days on cashew. Female fecundity of P. maesarum was 16.9 ± 1.55. Adult longevity for male and female was 10.7 ± 0.73 and 13.4 ± 1.06 days, respectively. H. antonii feed on all the growth stages of cashew and P. maesarum prefers to feed on the new flush of cashew.