SEASONAL ABUNDANCE OF MYZUS PERSICAE (SULZER) AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH FOOD PLANTS AND NATURAL ENEMIES IN NORTHEAST BIHAR

ABSTRACT

Myzus persicae (Sulzer) is a most common polyphagous pest in northeast Bihar and was recorded on more than 25 species of food plants of 17 genera belonging to 8 families. Highly infested food plants were Beta vulgaris L., Brassica rapa var. campestris (L.), B. oleracea var. botrytis Linn., B. oleracea var. capitata Linn., Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., Nicotiana tabaccum Linn., Nicotiana sp., Solanum melongena L. and Spinacia oleracea L.. The most suffered family was Brassicaceae. M. persicae was found to be parasitoids viz., Aphelinus gossypii Timberlake, Aphidius colemani Vierek, Binodoxis indicus (Subba Rao and Sharma), Diaretiella rapae (McIntoch) and Lipolexis oregmae Ghan in the target area. Among of these A. gossypii, B. indicus and L. oregmae were found abundantly with high parasitisation rate was always observed when M. persicae infests Calendulla sp., Ganaphalium sp., Raphanus sativus L., Rumex sp., Solanum melongena L. and Withenia sp. Only one hyperparasitoid Alloxysta pleuralis was recorded on A. gossypii and B. indicus. Several new host associations are also observed in the present study.