Development of a checklist of Insecta and Arachnida fauna associated with okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench), in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: A study on development of pest succession list of arthropods (pest and predators) associated fauna in okra ecosystem was made during the Kharif seasons from July to October 2023 and 2024. The studies revealed that a total of 12 pest species and three natural enemies were associated with okra crops during their different growth stages. The presence of jassids (Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida, 1913)), whitefly (Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889)) and okra shoot and fruit borer (Earias vittella (Fabricius, 1794)) were recorded from the vegetative to maturity stage of the crop and considered as a major pest, while tobacco caterpillar (Spodoptera litura (Fabricius, 1775)), red spider mite (Teytranychus spp. (Dufour, 1832)) and mealy bug (Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, 1898)) were present during vegetative to reproductive stage of the crop. Aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover, 1877)) and red cotton bug (Dysdercus cingulatus (Fabricius, 1775)) were found only during reproductive to maturity stages of the crop. Other insect pests also recorded on the crop were less significant and extent of damage caused by them. Other insect pests also recorded on the crop were less significant and extent of damage caused by them. Among these major insect-pests are observed jassid, whitefly, okra shoot & fruit borer and minor insect-pests, fruit borer, red spider mite, mealybug, short horned grasshopper, red cotton bug, tobacco caterpillar, cotton aphid and occasional insect-pests, okra semilooper and ash weevil. Results provide a baseline understanding of pest dynamics, highlighting critical infestation periods and predator activity. These findings underscore the potential of ecological pest regulation and support the development of location-specific Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies. Further, the presence and activity patterns of biological control agents emphasize the importance of their conservation and augmentation through habitat management. Incorporating these ecological insights into predictive models and decision-support tools can significantly enhance the sustainability, resilience and productivity of okra cultivation systems.
Source: Plant Science Today
DOI: 10.14719/pst.9733
Authors: Aman Pratap Singh, Umesh Chandra, Jaydeep Halder, Suraj Soni, Sameer Kumar Singh, Lokesh kumar Mishra, Pramod Kumar Singh, Deepak Kumar Rawat, Prince Sahu, Abhishek Kumar Yadav, Raju Kumar Verma
Institutions: Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda
Language: English
Subfield: Insect Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4415413306
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