BIODIVERSITY OF INSECT SPECIES ON BERSEEM ECOSYSTEM

Abstract

A field study related to biodiversity of insect species on berseem ecosystem was conducted. In order to collect pests and natural enemies, methods like In Situ plant count, sweep net, and yellow sticky trap were used in the study.  The experimental results indicated that in In Situ plant count method the population remained maximum (274.18) for aphid as compared to other insects including, thrips (27.00); whitefly (34.10); diamondback moth (12.05); cutworm (27.84); gram pod borer (16.2); tobacco caterpillar (13.2); lucerne caterpillar (21.5); lucerne weevil (25.2) and green stink bug (13.63) per 10 tillers. The total of individuals collected through In Situ plant count method was 465.35 and species was 10. The Sweep net method indicated that the population of aphid, thrip, whitefly, diamondback moth, cutworm, gram pod borer, tobacco caterpillar, lucerne caterpillar, lucerne weevil, and green stink bug was 217.97, 130.53, 158.10, 136.80, 47.49, 116.20, 50.28, 21.50, 101.20 and 113.36 per 10 sweeps, respectively. The total individuals collected through this sweep net method were 1093.43 and species were 10. The insect pests captured through yellow sticky method indicated that the population of aphid, thrip, whitefly and diamondback moth was 243.00, 175.18, 158.10 and 22.80 per 10 yellow sticky traps, respectively. The total individuals collected through yellow sticky trap method were 599.08 and species were 4. The predators collected through In Situ plant method indicated that the population of zigzag, 11-spotted, 7-spotted, brumus beetle, rove beetle hoverfly, damsel bug pirate, bug lacewing and wasp was 63.52, 27.32, 7.95, 7.50, 22.90, 26.05, 30.92, 43.56, 28.54 and 19.83 per 10 tillers, respectively. The total individuals collected through In Situ method were 278.09 and species were 10. In sweepnet method the population of zigzag, 11-spotted, 7-spotted, brumus beetle, rove beetle, hoverfly, damsel bug, pirate bug, lacewing, wasp was 87.84, 37.47, 10.33, 13.05, 21.37, 62.12, 50.66, 62.52, 39.75 and 40.49 per 10 sweeps. The total individuals (predators and parasitoid) collected through In Situ plant count and sweep net methods were 278.09 and 425.6, respectively and species were 10. It is concluded that berseem holds a high conservatory potential for control of soft bodied insect pests due to its harboring a large number of predators and parasitoids i.e., coccinellids, syrphid, chrysopid larvae, carabids, spiders, hymenopteran and parasitoids.