Taxonomic documentation of the insect pest complex associated with paddy ecosystems in Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh, India

Introduction

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important cereal crop in the world serving as staple diet for millions of peoples. Almost 90% of rice is grown and consumed in Asia. In India average losses in paddy production due to insect pests are 25-30% and in Madhya Pradesh about 40-100% losses were observed reported that over 100 insect pest species attacks paddy crop at various stages of its growth in which 20 species cause the economic damage. Light trap is an important tool for minimizing the insect pests damage without any toxic hazards. Other than this light trap has been used to supplement the knowledge of pest fauna of given locality, geographical distribution and their seasonal activity etc. Many insects are positively phototrophic in nature and use of light traps for insect catches produces valuable faunistic data. This data can be seen as a parameter of health of biodiversity of the concerned vicinity. The data provided by light trap catches could throw light on period of maximum activity of insects. The phototropic behavior of insects makes the scientist capable to use light trap for capturing insects either for study or destruction. The forecasting and predication of insect occurrence or outbreak can be made by using light trap. These studies are helpful in the rational and timely application of insecticide which may lead to better and cheaper insect control with least hazards. The present study reviles that documented information on these species gives broader scope of using light trap as Integrated Pest Management tool against these insect pests of vegetables and other crops. The trap catch data also provide voluble information on bio control agents (predatory) active in rice ecosystem.

Materials and Methods

The study was conducted in a paddy-growing region during Kharif seasons of 2022 and 2023 in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. Insect pests were collected weekly using a light trap, and their abundance was recorded. The insects collected in the chamber of light trap were killed by the exposure of Dichlorvos 76 EC vapours (as fumigating agent) which is directly placed in collection tray for instant killing of trapped insects. For the taxonomic documentation, the light trap was operated every night and collection was observed on the next day morning.

Observations will be recorded every day throughout the Rabi season. Total insects were observed and sorted out on the basis of species and their family. Identification of insects was done on the basis of specimens available in insect museum of the Department, Department of Entomology, UAS, Bangalore and Zoological Survey of India, Jabalpur. After counting, dried specimens were prepared by keeping the pinned insects in oven for 24 hours at 30 °C and thereafter well labeled specimens were stored in insect boxes and show cases.

Results and Discussion

Taxonomic analysis revealed the presence of 69 species belonging to 11 orders and 38 families throughout the study period (Kharif 2022-2023). Based on species richness, the order Lepidoptera exhibited the highest representation (20 species), followed by Coleoptera (15 species), Hemiptera (15 species), Orthoptera (6 species), and Hymenoptera (5 species), in descending order. Orders of minor significance included Odonata and Neuroptera, each represented by two species, whereas Isoptera, Diptera, Dermaptera, and Dictyoptera were represented by a single species each. To study the relative size of trap catches of various species collected in different taxonomic groups, collection of entire season (June to Dec.) was recorded species wise. These species were grouped on the basis of their economic importance in three major categories viz. Harmful insects-as crop pests, beneficial insects-as bio-control agents (predators and parasites) and beneficial insects-as commercially important. In accordance with present findings Sharma et al. also reported a record of 62 species through light trap catches during the cropping season of paddy at Jabalpur (2002-03). These species belonging to 8 orders and 33 families. Lepidoptera was the largest order with 27 species, followed by Hemiptera (14 species), Coleoptera (12 species) and Orthoptera (4 species). Odonata, Hymenoptera, Isoptera and Dictyoptera were the other orders of minor significance.

Percent distribution of insect pest species of different orders trapped in light trap installed in paddy during kharif 2022 and 2023 (June to December) at Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh.

Group I: Harmful insects-as crop pests

Group of Harmful insects-as crop pests, was represented by 6 orders, 21 families & 38 species as crop pests species. Among the harmful crop pest species, order Lepidoptera was represented by the highest number of 8 families including 20 species, in which, family Noctuidae has the highest 7 species. This family includes 7 species as important pests of different crops. Among these species Spodoptera litura (fabricius) has the highest size of trap catch (940 moths) followed by Hyblaea puera (Cramer) (760 moths), while the lowest size of trap catch was of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (170 moths). In accordance to the present findings, Butler et al. (2001) [2] observed a total of 438 species of Lepidoptera in 13 selected families were identified including Noctuids (222 species), Geometrids (127 species), Notodontids Similarly, Sharma and Vaishampayan (2009) [9] and Sharma (2004) [11] also reported that Helicoverpa armigera, Agrotis ipsilon and Spodoptera litura were the major polyphagous pests of family Noctuidae through trap catches at Jabalpur. Dangi (2004) [3] also reported that Spodoptera litura Fabricius, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner), Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) and Plusia orichalcea (Febricius) as polyphagous pests of family Noctuidae, in light trap catches at Jabalpur. Among the major pests of paddy, Melanitis leda ismene (Cramer) of the family Nymphalidae showed significantly [13] reported that order Hemiptera was represented by 4

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