Insect diversity and extent of infestation of major rice pests in Burdwan district, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Insects collected from different rice fields of Burdwan District of West Bengal from February 2012 to November 2014 by light trapping, netting, sweeping or hand picking method recorded 32 species of arthropods under eight orders. The population of rice leaf folder, yellow stem borer, striped stem borer, army worm, hispa, brown plant hopper, green leaf hopper, gandhi bug and grasshoppers were found to be 7.95/hill and 7.86/hill; 2.36/hill and 1.62/hill; 0.19/hill and 0.27/hill; 0.98/hill and 0.73/hill; 0.87/hill and 1.04/hil; 4.89/hill and 3.47/hill; 4.24/hill and 3.76/hill; 2.15/hill and 2.68/hill; 4.17/hill and 3.82/hill in Galsi and Memari, respectively. Infestation of the crop and population of C. medinalis and S. incertulas in the rice fields at different locations of Galsi and Memari during dry and wet season in 2012, 2013 and 2014 were studied. Leaffolders were more prevalent in wet season than dry season. During the dry season of 2012, 2013 and 2014 the infestation of S. incertulas and the population of larvae in the rice fields were 90.24 - 90.47; 90.12 - 92.50; 89.56 - 91.98 percent and 7.00 - 7.33; 7.00; 6.33 - 7.00 per hill respectively. During the wet season of 2012, 2013 and 2014, the infestation and population of S. incertulas in the rice fields were 73.01 - 75.90; 68.44 - 70.1; 74.56 - 77.3 percent and 3.00 - 3.33; 2.67 - 3.67; 3.33 - 3.67 larvae per hill, respectively.