New Records of Insect-Pests and Natural Enemies on Economically Important Forest Trees in Dang District of Gujarat

Gujarat offers a variety of agro-ecological regions ranging from arid Kutch to tropical south Gujarat. In south Gujarat, Dang district considered as tropical moist deciduous forest, is typified by teak (Tectona grandis), sisham (Dalbergia sissoo), hed (Haldina cordifolia), sadad (Terminalia tomentosa), khair (Vachellia catechu) and khakra or Palas (Butea monosperma). On the basis of roving survey carried out in North (Subir, Sarvar and Ahwa) and South (Chichinagavtha, Shamgahan and Galcund) Dang at fortnightly interval during 2011–13, new insectpests viz; spittle bug (Clovia sp.), leaf hopper (Belenus sp.) and mealy bugs (Phenacoccus solenopsis and Icerya sp.) on teak, skeletonizer (Dichomeris sp.) and white fly (unidentified) on sisham, defoliator (Glyphodes negatalis) on Karanj (Millettia pinnata), mealy bug (Perissopneumon tectonae) and skeletonizer (Cydalima laticostalis) on Indrajav (Holarrhena antidysenterica), leaf mining beetle (Trachys sp.), aphid (unidentified) and defoliator (unidentified) on Palas (Butea monosperma) and grasshopper (unidentified), mealy bug (unidentified), defoliator (unidentified) and skeletonizer (unidentified) on Khair were recorded. Besides insect-pests, natural enemies viz; Apanteles as larval cum pupal parasitoid on foliage pests (defoliator and skeletonizer) of teak, sisham skeletonizer, palas defoliator and Hed defoliator, Brachymeria sp. and Xanthopimpla sp. as pupal parasitoids on Karanj defoliator, Scymnus coccivora as predator of palas aphid, dragon fly as general predator of Hemipteran, Lepidopteran and Coleopteran insect pests of forest trees and yellow banded wasp (Vespa sp.) as general predator of insect-pests of teak, sisham, palas and hed were also recorded.