Biology of the tea mosquito bug (Helopeltis theivora Waterhouse) on Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M. King & H. Rob.

Abstract

1Helopeltis theivora Waterhouse, pest of tea, is emerging as a commonly occurring major pest of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) in recent times. The field observation revealed Chromolaena odorata (L. rd , 4 th and 5 th nymphal instar developmental times were 36.11 ± 9.52, 43.29 ± 7.35, 27.15 ± 8.41, 41.31 ± 10.13, and 73.91 ± 5.67 h, respectively. Survival percentage of eggs was lower (60.53%) than nymphal instars. Adult females and males lived for 22.6 ± 3.29 and 11.8 ± 1.64 d, respectively. Females showed dynamic patterns of fecundity with the number of eggs laid per female ranging 19 to 34. Longevity and fecundity of H. theivora on this weed were significantly lesser when compared on cashew. Egg parasitoids viz., Telenomus sp., Chaetostricha sp. and Erythmelus helopeltidis Gahan were recorded from H. theivora eggs on C. odorata for the first time. For better management decisions, it is important to know about this mirid biology, particularly their life cycle on their alternate hosts so that the right assessment can be made before taking up spray.)

Tea Mosquito Bug (Helopeltis spp.): A Pest of Economically Important Fruit and Plantation Crops: Its Status and Management Prospects

“…Previous studies have identified the importance of this group and the severity of H. bradyi infestation is observed in cashew plantations of Puttur, Karnataka region (Srikumar and Bhat, 2013;Srikumar et al, 2015), H. theivora in Vandiperiyar and Peerumedu in Kerala regions and recently had spread in an alarming form in tea plantations of Anamala and Valparai hills (Tamil Nadu). In Sikkim, the infestation of TMB, Helopeltis theivora (Waterhouse) has been recorded for the first time in red cherry pepper (Kalita et al, 2010).…”

New records and a voucher collection of parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera) inhabiting agroforestry systems in the colombian amazon basin

“…Taxonomic inventories of beneficial insects such as parasitoid wasps are scarce in agroforestry systems. Most studies in agroecosystems have been carried out on insects of economic importance, e.g., pests (Miller, 1941;Conway, 1971;Entwistle, 1972;Keane & Putter, 1992;Ramirez-Cortés et al, 2008;Posada et al, 2011;Castillo, 2013;Srikumar & Shivarama, 2013), and pollinators (Winder, 1978;Adjaloo & Oduro, 2013;Mavisoy et al, 2013). This situation is similar for megadiverse countries such as Colombia, where taxonomic groups such as ants (Vergara & Serna, 2013;Fernandez et al, 2019) and bees (González et al, 2005;Parra & Londoño, 2013;Londoño-Carvajal et al, 2020) have been the focus of research efforts, but most other hymenopteran taxa remain poorly investigated.…”

Electro-antennographic response of Helopeltis theivora to synthetic pesticides used in tea plantations

“…The adult and younger stages of the bugs make punctures on the tea leaves and while sucking the sap, the bugs inject toxic saliva into the leaf resulting in the formation of punctures, wart like structures and discoloration of the leaves. The excess feeding by nymphs and adults, makes the leaves curl up and badly deformed, drying up of the young shoots leading to the loss of entire crop [19,20,22,23].…”