Vol. 11, Special Issue 9 (2022)

Author(s):
Showkat Ahmad Sheikh, Dr. Sajad Mohi-Ud-Din, Dr. Munazah Yaqoob, Dr. Nazir Ahmad Ganie, Liyaqat Ayoub, Waseem Ahmad War, Jameela Rasool and Zuhaib Farooq

Abstract:
The field experiment on “Temporal Prevalence of pests of Walnut (Juglans regia L.) and their associated Natural Enemies” was conducted at Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura during 2020 to record various pests infesting walnut and their associated natural enemies. The results revealed that eight insect pest species and one non-insect pest species infested walnut crop. Among eight insect pest species, four insect pests viz., walnut aphid, Chromaphis juglandicola, dusky-veined aphid, Panaphis juglandis, capsid bug, Megacoelum stramineum and stink bug, Apodiphus pilipes were sucking pests, out of which three insect pests (P. juglandis, C. juglandicola and M. stramineum) belong to order Hemiptera and family Aphidae; one pest (stink bug) belong to order Hemiptera, family Pentatomidae; four insect pests viz., grey weevil (Myllocerus viridanus), green leaf weevil (Polydrusus formosus), flea beetle (Altica himensis) and walnut blue butterfly (Chaetoprocta odata) were defoliators, among them three (grey weevil, green leaf weevil and flea beetle) belong to order Coleoptera and family Curculionidae while as one insect pest (walnut blue butterfly) belong to order Lepidoptera, family Lycaenidae; one non-insect pest viz., blister mite (Eriophyes erinea) belong to order Acari, family Eriophyidae was sucking pest. With regards to natural enemies, the study revealed that nine species of natural enemies (predators) viz., pink ladybird beetle (Coleomegilla maculata), seven-spotted lady beetle (Coccinella septempunctata), two spotted lady beetle (Adalia bipunctata), spotted lady beetle (Coleomegilla maculata), convergent lady beetle (Hippodamia convergens), multi colored Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis), green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea), syrphid fly (Sphaerophoria philanthus) and predatory mite (Phytoseiulos sp.) were found associated with pests of walnut. Among them six natural enemies (predators) viz., C. maculata, C. septempunctata, A. bipunctata, C. maculata, H. convergens and H. axyridis belong to order Coleoptera, family Coccinellidae; two natural enemies viz, C. carnea and S. philanthus belong to order Hemiptera, family Miridae and order Diptera; family Syrphidae, respectively; one predatory mite, Phytoseiulos sp. belong to order Acari, family Phytoseiidae.