Phenology, population dynamics and within tree distribution of Dasineura amaramanjarae Grover, 1965 (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in Punjab, Pakistan.
Hafiz Mahmood-ur-Rehman, Riaz Mahmood, Muhammad Razaq
Author Affiliation: CABI Central and West Asia, Opposite 1-A, Data Gunj Bukhsh Road, Satellite Town, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Pakistan Journal of Zoology 45 : 1563-1572
Abstract : Gall midges are major pests in all of the mango areas of the world. They damage many parts of the plant including the bark, shoots, leaves, pre and post flowering shoot buds, inflorescence buds, axillaries, flowers, newly formed fruit and twigs. A complex of gall midges damages mango in Pakistan. Dasineura amaramanjarae Grover, 1965, one such midge pest that feeds on mango inflorescence, has been first time recorded here. In this study, we report its phenology, population dynamics and within tree distribution from Punjab Pakistan. The gall midge was active from February to April with a population peak in March. The flower buds were the only parts for oviposition and the larvae moved to soil for pupation after feeding inside the buds. No stage of the pest was observed from mango trees from May to January when flowers were not available. Studies on within tree distribution through trapping of the larvae with funnel rings indicated that D. amaramanjarae was not uniformly distributed vertically and horizontally in mango tree canopy. Highest numbers of D. amaramanjarae larvae were found at the height 1.5 m from ground and southern side of tree canopy.