16 Oca 2025 Perşembe
Predators and parasitoids of Rhopalosiphum spp. (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and their distribution in India
Abstract : The article enlists the predators and parasitoids of 4 species of Rhopalosiphum Koch, 1854 (Aphididae: Hemiptera) along with their preys, host plants and their distribution in different states and union territories of India. These are the corn aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch, 1856), the waterlily aphid, Rhopalosiphum nymphaeae (Linnaeus, 1761), the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus, 1758), and the rice root aphid, Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominale (Sasaki, 1899). Predators of Rhopalosiphum spp. mostly belong to one order of class Arachnida, the Araneae (spiders) (5 families) and four orders of the class Insecta: Coleoptera (families Carabidae, Coccinellidae, Staphylinidae), Diptera (families Cecidomyiidae, Chamaemyiidae, Syrphidae), Hemiptera (family Anthocoridae, Geocoridae), and Neuroptera (families Chrysopidae, Hemerobiidae). Among the Araneae, 8 species of spiders were reported belonging to 5 families that prey on Rhopalosiphum spp. in only 2 states of India. The Coccinellidae (ladybird beetles) is the largest family having 43 species feeding on Rhopalosiphum spp. infesting 18 species of host plants distributed in 22 states/union territories of India. A maximum of 35 species of these ladybird beetles prey on Rhopalosiphum maidis on 9 food plants in 19 states/union territories of India. Among the Diptera, the hover flies (Syrphidae) are the most common predators having 13 species feeding on Rhopalosiphum spp. infesting 7 species of host plants distributed in 12 states/union territory of India. Five species of green lacewings (Chrysopidae) are recorded to prey on Rhopalosiphum spp. in India. Regarding the parasitoids, a total of 21 species (one species belonging to Aphelinidae, Aphelinus gossypii Timberlake, 1924 and 19 species of Aphidiinae (Braconidae) belonging to 14 genera were recorded to parasitise three species of Rhopalosiphum infesting 19 plant species in 23 states/union territories of India. A total 49 tritrophic associations were recorded. Among the Aphidiinae, Aphidius uzbekistanicus Luzhetzki, 1960 is more diversified parasitising all three species of Rhopalosiphum infesting 5 plant species in 4 states of India. Indeed, very limited attempts have been made to record these predators and parasitoids infesting these aphids in India and most of the regions are still unexplored and need an intensive survey plan to record them in those areas.