Biodiversity of Insect Pests in The Agroecosystems of Maize (Zea Mays L.) In Telangana State, India

Abstract

The study was conducted at maize/ corn crop fields in Nalgonda, Warangal, and Ranga Reddy, erstwhile districts of Telangana state, India, during the 2021–22 Kharif and Rabi seasons. Main objective of the study is to investigate Biodiversity of insect pests in the agroecosystems of maize (Zea mays L.) in Telangana state, India. Sweep net and hand-picking methods were used to collect insect pests on maize/ corn fields. sixteen insect pest’s species were observed, belonging to Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, and Orthoptera orders in the class Insecta of the Arthropoda phylum of the Kingdom Animalia. The order Lepidoptera represented the highest number of eight species followed by Hemiptera three species, Coleoptera two species, Orthoptera two species and Diptera one species. The family Noctuidae of lepidoptera was the richest with eight species followed by Acrididae of Orthoptera with two species, Chrysomelidae of Coleoptera with one species, Scarabaeidae of Coleoptera with one species, Muscidae of Diptera with one species, Aphididae of Hemiptera with one species, Lophopidae of Hemiptera with one species, and Derbidae of Hemiptera with one species on maize/ corn crop fields. Ecological indices of insect pest’s species i.e., Species diversity (Shannon-Wiener Index), Species richness (Margalefs Index) and Species evenness (Pielou Evenness Index) were calculated.