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Suppression of cotton leafworm Spodoptera litura , flower beetle Mylabris pustulata and red cotton bug Dysdercus cingulatus by Rhynocoris marginatus (Fabr.) (Het., Reduviidae) in cotton field cages
Author(s) -
Ambrose D. P.,
Claver M. A.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of applied entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0418
pISSN - 0931-2048
DOI - 10.1046/j.1439-0418.1999.00333.x
Subject(s) - spodoptera litura , biology , pest analysis , toxicology , botany , predator , horticulture , predation , larva , ecology
Mass‐reared reduviid, Rhynocoris marginatus was released in large‐sized cotton field cages against three cotton pests, Spodoptera litura, Mylabris pustulata and Dysdercus cingulatus . Pest species were introduced into separate cages in the absence of other pests, parasitoids and predators. Control experimental cages without R. marginatus were maintained for each prey set up during the evaluation period. R. marginatus greatly reduced the infestation of S. litura (57.5%), M. pustulata (52.3%) and D. cingulatus (45.8%). The leaves, flower and boll damages (32%, 35% and 28% by S. litura, M. pustulata and D. cingulatus , respectively) and seed‐cotton yield loss (1.4, 1.6 and 1.25 times in S. litura, M. pustulata and D. cingulatus infested cages, respectively) were reduced by R. marginatus compared with such fields without R. marginatus . The field observations suggest this predator’s pest suppression and damage reduction efficacy.