Journal of Environmental Biology

Natural incidence pattern of cotton pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) larval parasitoids across India

S. Rakhesh¹, S.S. Udikeri¹*, V. Chinna Babu Naik² and T. Prabhulinga²     

¹Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Dharwad, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad– 580 005, India

²Division of Crop Protection, ICAR- Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur– 440 010, India

Received: 28 May 2024                   Revised: 27 August 2024                   Accepted: 03 October 2024

*Corresponding Author Email : ssudikeri@gmail.com                        *ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4244-8439

Abstract

Aim: To identify natural incidence pattern of pink bollworm larval parasitoids across different cotton growing zones in India.

Methodology: Green bolls of cotton were collected from farmers field across India encompassing Northern, Central and Southern regions of cotton cultivation. In total 59 locations were selected for sampling and from each cotton field, five hundred matured green bolls were collected, packed and transferred to laboratory at CICR, Nagpur. Dead/inactive larvae were placed individually in plastic tubes under controlled laboratory conditions to monitor parasitoid emergence. Percent parasitization and parasitoid emergence were calculated accordingly.

Results: The pink bollworm larval recovery varied among locations, with the highest average recovery and parasitised larvae observed in the Northern zone (480.50 and 12.10 larvae). Additionally, the average parasitization rate was higher in the Northern cotton zone (2.46 %) compared to the Southern (2.16 %) and Central zones (1.70 %). In terms of parasitoids, the Southern zone exhibited the highest average number of Bracon lefroyi (9.17 ± 3.59) with a range of 3.0-17.0 parasitoids, while the Northern zone recorded the highest average number of Apanteles angaleti (9.70 ± 2.83) with a range of 6.0-15.0 parasitoids.

Interpretation: The natural parasitization of pink bollworm larvae by Bracon lefroyi and Apanteles angaleti ranged from 0.43 to 4.33 per cent across various cotton-growing zones. This natural occurrence presents a hopeful strategy for controlling pink bollworm populations, potentially reducing the need for chemical interventions and minimizing crop damage.

Key words: Apanteles angaleti, Bracon lefroyi, Cotton, Larval parasitoid, Pink bollworm

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