Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore - 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India
*Corresponding author's present address: SRM Institute of Science Technology, Kattankulathur - 603 203, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, E-mail: muthukum2@srmist.edu.in
Online Published on 29 December, 2021.
Biology of Blaptostethus pallescens Poppius on Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) and Tetranychus urticae Koch revealed that the incubation period of egg was 4.03 and 4.40 days, laid both the prey insect. The longevity of female adult cultured on Corcyra eggs and mites was 42.67 and 20.33 days. The anthocorid bug preferred to predate the unparasitized Corcyra eggs (30.57) as compared to parasitized Corcyra eggs (0.14). The unparasitized Corcyra eggs on exposure to both Trichogramma adults and anthocorid nymphs showed mutual exclusion of their activities with egg parasitization of Trichogramma (28.86) and predation of anthocorid bugs (20.43). Biological control of T. urticae in micro plot under field conditions revealed that the reduction of T. urticae at seven days after the first release was more under bhendi in open condition (31.25%) and bhendi + cluster bean in cage (68.54%).
Blaptostethus pallescens, Corcyra cephalonica, Tetranychus urticae, Biological control
