Baseline survey on insect pests prevalence in Senapati district of Manipur, India

Results revealed that cabbage butterfly, thrips, aphids and sugarcane mealy bug were the most prevalent species with a mean population densities recorded at 2.82, 17.008, 4.116, and 7.61 insects per plant. These pests posed significant threats to commonly cultivated major crops like cabbage, broccoli, onion, garlic and sugarcane. Other pests such as leaf miner, tree trunk borer, weevil, and scale insect were identified in certain villages; however their infestation levels remained negligible. Mayangkhang village stood out with the highest cultivated land area, averaging 2.8 acres per household, with onion and sugarcane being the primary crops cultivated. Furthermore, the presence of insect predators and parasitoids including coccinellid beetles and parasitoid wasps were recorded in the selected areas, contributing to natural pest control.