b)         Beetles/ Weevils and their young ones

1.      1.          Hadda beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

2.         Flea beetles: Psylloides spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Other coleopterans of minor importance:

3.         Blister beetles: Epicauta hirticornis Hagg. (Coleoptera: Meloidae)

4.         Weevil: Myllocerus subfasciatus Guerin. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

 

 

Epicauta hirticornis                                Myllocerus subfasciatus   

Management of beetles:

• Deep summer ploughing to kill the over wintering population.
• Handpicking of grub infested leaves and destruction of various stages of the pest.
• Conservation of natural enemies viz. a eulophid egg parasitoid, Tetrastichus ovulorum and a chalcid parasitoid, Ugna menoni Kerrich and Pediobius foveolatus. The parasitisation of H. vigintioctopunctata in the field by P. foveolatus Crawford has been reported to be as high as 77 %.
• When serious, the pests can be controlled by spraying Dichlorvos 78EC @ 1ml or carbaryl 50WP @2 gm/ lit of water.

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