Feeding Preferences of Red Pumpkin Beetle, Aulacophora foveicollis Lucas (Chrysomelidae: Coleoptera) on Different Cucurbit Cultivars | ||
| Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. A, Entomology | ||
| Article 22, Volume 13, Issue 2, June 2020, Pages 295-303 PDF (474.53 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/eajbsa.2020.98481 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Muhammad Hannan Ahmad1; Muhammad Afzal1; Muhammad Irfan Ullah2; Naunain Mehmood3; Sajjad Ali4; Muhammad Arshad1; Abu Bakar Muhammad Raza1 | ||
| 1Department of Entomology, University of Sargodha,40100 Sargodha | ||
| 2Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha Pakistan | ||
| 3Department of Zoology, University of Sargodha, 40100 Sargodha | ||
| 4Department of Entomology, The Islamia University, Bahawalpur | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Red pumpkin beetle (RPB) is one of the most notorious insect pest and a serious threat to all cucurbits. Five cultivars of cucurbits, Cucumis sativus L., Momordica charantia L., Luffa acutangula L., Cucurbita pepo L. and Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) were tested for feeding preferences of RPB for two years. All the cultivars of cucurbits were highly infested in their foliage and flowers resulting in a decline of yield. High RPB infestation was recorded in 2015 compared to 2014. The average population per ten leaves was high in pumpkin and cucumber but low in bitter gourd. Overall data showed that pumpkin was highly preferred cultivar followed by cucumber, watermelon, ridge gourd and bitter gourd. In no choice test, the highest reduction in the leaf area was recorded in pumpkin followed by ridge gourd, cucumber, bitter gourd and water melon. Therefore, appropriate control measure may be taken into consideration as per susceptibility of the host to reduce RPB infestation. Our studies have shown that bitter gourd was the least preferred cultivar, thus, planting bitter gourd as companion crop as borders or in mix cultivation could safeguard other cucurbits. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Red pumpkin beetle; Pumpkin; Cucumber; Bitter gourd; Ridge gourd; Water melon | ||
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