04 Haz 2025 Çarşamba
Predators and parasitoids of aphids (Homoptera: Aphididae) infesting okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) crops in India
Abstract : The present article deals with the predators and parasitoids of the aphids (Aphididae: Hemiptera) infesting okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) crops and their distribution in different states and union territories of India. Most of them are found to prey on or parasitise Aphis gossypii Glover. The predators belong to one order of class Arachnida: Araneae (families Araneidae, Cheiracanthidae, Lycosidae, Oxyopidae, Salticidae, Tetragnathidae, Theriidae, and Thomisidae) and five orders of class Insecta: Coleoptera (families Anthribidae, Coccinellidae), Diptera (family Syrphidae), Hemiptera (families Geocoridae, Pentatomidae), Mantodea (family Mantidae), and Neuroptera (families Chrysopidae, Hemerobiidae). A total of 68 species of predators of various taxa were recorded to feed on 4 species of okra aphids distributed in 17 states/union territories of India. The highest number of predators belonged to the families Coccinellidae (29 species) and Oxyopidae (5 species). Most of the tri-trophic associations (triplets, predators-preys-host plants) of these predators were reported in Karnataka (32 triplets), Kerala (19 triplets), Maharashtra (10 triplets) and Uttarakhand (9 triplets each), and other states/union territories had 1-7 triplets. All the parasitoids of okra aphids belong to two subfamilies, Aphelininae (Aphelinidae: Hymenoptera) and Aphidiinae (Braconidae: Hymenoptera) in India. A total of 8 species of parasitoids were observed parasitising these aphids infesting in only 8 states/union territory of India. Most of the tri-trophic associations (triplets, parasitoids - hosts - host plants) of these parasitoids are reported from Bihar (4 parasitoid species, 7 triplets), followed by Sikkim (2 parasitoid species, 2 triplets) and single species each in Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. Relatively few attempts have been made to document the natural enemies of okra aphids in India; thus, a comprehensive survey plan is required to document them in undiscovered locations.