An investigation was conducted annually from 2002 to 2005 between the second week of May and the end of September on the incidence of scarab beetle, Schizonycha ruficollis (Fabricius) in a teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) nursery at Ramdongari, Nagpur, India. The immature stages, that is white grubs of the scarab beetle damaged 14%‐52% of teak seedlings in the nursery beds, whereas the adult of the species, that is scarab beetles, were recorded on three new host trees (Ziziphus xylopyra, Acacia catechu and A. leucophloea) in addition to the reported hosts such as ziziphus (Z. jujuba and Z. mauritiana). Beetles of the S. ruficollis started emerging from the nursery beds just after the pre‐monsoon showers and continued for 10‐18 days. While beetle of S. ruficollis defoliated tree hosts available in the surroundings, the immature stages of the beetle caused major damage by feeding on root systems of teak seedlings with symptoms of wilting and mortality in forest nursery beds. The result of chemical and biological treatments for the management of grubs of S. ruficollis in nursery beds indicated phorate 10% granular at the rate of 20 g/m2 and chlorpyriphos 20% emulsifiable concentrate at the rate of 5.0 mL/m2 to be effective. Grubs of S. ruficollis have not been recorded previously as a major pest of teak (T. grandis). This is also the first report on occurrence of S. ruficollis adults on tree hosts such as Z. xylopyra, A. catechu and A. leucophloea. White grubs being pests of economic importance and the toughest insects to manage, information given in this paper on incidence, pest status and management of Schizonycha ruficollis is of importance to researchers and forest nursery managers.
Field observations were carried out between 2002 and 2005 on bio-ecology of white grubs infesting teak (Tectona grandis Linn. f.) seedlings at Ramdongari Forest Nursery, Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra, Nagpur in central India. The study collected the data required for an integrated pest management strategy against the white grubs. The species damaging teak seedlings were Holotrichia rustica (Burmeister) and H. mucida Gyllenhal. The beetles (adults) of both these species began to emerge just after the pre-monsoon showers and when the relative humidity had risen rapidly over several days, but before the first monsoon rains. While the adults fed and mated on naturally growing bushes of Ziziphus jujuba, Z. mauritiana, Z. xylopyra, Acacia leucophloea and A. catechu immediately after the emergence from the teak beds in the nursery, the immature stages (grubs) of both species fed on roots of the teak seedling, leading to plant death. This is the first report of (i) damage caused to teak seedlings by grubs of H. rustica and H. mucida, and (ii) of Z. jujuba and Z. mauritiana being hosts for the beetles of H. mucida and H. rustica. It is also the first detailed report on the field bio-ecology of the H. rustica and H. mucida as major pests of teak. White grubs are among the toughest-to-manage pests of economic importance and information presented here on the pest incidence and damage of H. rustica and H. mucida is important to researchers and nursery field managers for the management of these pests on teak.
The paper reports the compatibility of Infective Juveniles (IJs) ofnew species of entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema dharanaii was evaluated against some new generation biopesticides (9 products comprising of 5 botanical pesticides, Neem Gold®, Neem oil®, Agropest Bt. ®, Derisome®, Ozomite®, 3 microbial pesticides, Bioprahar®, Conserve® , Delfine®) and 1 Insect Growth Regulator (Cigna®). The freshly harvested Infective Juveniles (IJs) were exposed to the desired concentration of the biopesticides, which normally ranged from concentration lower to higher concentration specific to the type of biopesticides for 72 hours and data on the survival in IJs was recorded. The iinfectivity of the surviving IJs was also tested in laboratory against the wax moth larvae, Galleria mellonella.The results showed that the EPNs survival on highest concentration of different biopesticides such as, Neemgold 2.0% survival 84.
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