Seasonal incidence of lepidopteran pests in relation to weather parameters in mango (Mangifera indica).
Kannan M., Rao N. V.
Author Affiliation: Department of Entomology, ANGRAU S. V. Agricultural College, Tirupati - 517 502, A. P., India.
Crop Research (Hisar) 33 : 198-203
Abstract : The seasonal incidence of lepidopteran pest complex in relation to weather parameters in a mango (cv. Neelum) orchard was studied in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India. Twelve species of lepidopteran pests were infesting mango trees at different growth stages. The activities of shoot borer (Penicillaria jocosastrix), leaf miner (Acrocercops syngramma), leaf-eating caterpillars (Euthalia garuda garuda [E. aconthelia], Porthesia scintillans [Eupoctris scintillans], Lymantria marginata, Latoia lepida [Parasa lepida], Orgyia postica and Thalassodes quadraria), flower-feeding caterpillar (Euproctis fraterna) and leaf folder (Homona permutata) damaged the new vegetative flush and flowers from July to March. However, the leaf webber (Orthaga exvinacea) and fruit borer (Conogethes punctiferalis) infested mainly the old foliage or matured leaves (September-October) and ripened fruits (April-June). Among the insects, the bark-eating caterpillar (Indarbela tetraonis) damaged the mango crop for a longer period (July-January). These pests occurred sufficiently at high densities to cause damage. The activities of shoot borer, leaf miner, leaf-eating caterpillars, flower feeders, and bark-eating caterpillars showed negative correlations with maximum and minimum temperatures, and positive correlations with rainfall and relative humidity.