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    ICAR Network Project on Insect Biosystematics-Annual Report-2010
    (Department of Entomology, RCA, MPUAT, Udaipur, 2010-12) R. Swaminathan, U.S. Sharma and Harjinder Singh
    ABSTRACT 􀂾 Field surveys could be conducted in the state of Rajasthan (10 districts) alone covering and area of 665 hectares. In all, 13 trips were made covering 42 villages. Insect collections were taken from cropped areas (vegetables, cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and fodder crops); non‐cropped areas pasture lands. A total of 3,100 insects were collected of which 2,853 specimens were processed belonging to 11 orders, 72 families and 134 genera that comprised Orthoptera (610); Coleoptera (1123); Hemiptera (449); Lepidoptera (556); Hymenoptera (40); Diptera (15); Odonata (30); Neuroptera (06); Dictyoptera (15); Dermaptera (05); and Isoptera (04). Light traps, net sweepings, pitfall traps and hand collections were employed for the collections. 􀂾 Identification was possible up to generic level for Orthoptera [under the families Acrididae (35), Gryllidae (01) and Tetrigidae (01)] and for Coleoptera [under the family Chrysomelidae – Sub‐family Alticinae (02)]. Morphological characterization with coloured pictures has been completed for genera under the families Acrididae (03) and Alticinae (02). 􀂾 Identification services were extended for grasshopper specimens from Shere Kashmir University of Agriculture & Technology, Jammu; for acridids, carabid beetles and noctuidmoths from Agricultural Research Station, Mandore, Swami Keshawanand Rajasthan Agricultural University; hemipteran specimens sent from Jaipur and Jodhpur centres of Swami Keshawanand Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner for identification help were referred to Bangalore centre (Dr. C.A. Viraktamath) and the report sent with proper labels. 􀂾 Help was extended to set up an insect museum at the Agricultural Research Station, Durgapura, Jaipur, Swami Keshawanand Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner. 􀂾 Morphological characterization of families of Coleoptera of agricultural importance prepared for use in undergraduate and postgraduate classes. 􀂾 During the year 2010 the major outbreaks recorded were that of the blister beetle (Mylabris sp.) infestation on kharif pulses, kharif grasshopper (Hieroglyphus nigrorepletus) on maize in the Sub‐humid Southern Plains and Aravalli Hills (Udaipur, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh districts) and Humid Southern Plains of Rajasthan (Banswara); field cricket during post‐monsoon season on early sown rabi crops in North Western Rajasthan (Ajmer, Nasirabad and Jaipur districts); red hairy caterpillar and castor semi‐looper infestation in Sirohi district of Rajasthan; aphid, tingid bug and coccid infestation in medicinal and aromatic plants (Ajmer and Udaipur districts); leaf miner damage to castor(Sirohi and Jodhpur districts); the lymantrid, Euproctis lunata infestation in guava (Udaipur) and Helicoverpa armigera outbreak in tank‐bed cultivated chickpea at Bhilwara. 􀂾 Foraging behaviour of dominant coccinellids on aphids of cowpea and fenugreek studied. 􀂾 Influence of enhanced biodiversity on natural enemy complex in greengram through farmscaping emphasised. 􀂾 Bio‐informatic tools were developed for insect pests of different crops (03) and some natural enemies of pests (05). Inventories for major insect pests of important crops led to the compilation of information on major insect pests and beneficial insects including 230 visuals and 10 video clips (greengram weevil, blister beetle; dung beetle; hairy caterpillar).