GUPTA, P.R.NISHA DEVI2016-06-172016-06-172012http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/67544Abstract The present studies were primarily carried out in the laboratory and partially under field conditions at Nauni, Solan during January 2009 to August 2011. Anthocorid bugs belonging to 3 genera and 5 species, viz. Anthocoris confusus Reuter, A. dividens Bu and Zheng, Orius bifilarus Ghauri, O. niger Wolff and Lippomanus brevicornis Yamada and Hirowatari, were identified on the basis of habitus, biometry and morphological features, mainly the genitalia (copulatory tube in the female and paramere in the male). Except A. confusus, all are being reported for the first time from Himachal Pradesh and A. dividens and L. brevicornis are new records from India. Field activity of anthocorid bugs continued from March to November on one or other flora among the 16 plant species. Amongst these, Orius bifilarus was the predominant one and this as well as A. dividens were amenable for laboratory rearing. The growth pattern of O. bifilarus and A. dividens in subsequent five nymphal stadia was heterogonic as the various body parts increased with varied growth rates and the growth increment adhered to Brooks-Dyar law. Developmental Biology of three anthocorids A. dividens, O. bifilarus and O. niger was studied. Among the 4 tested food sources for O. bifilarus, thrips from cucurbits and Corcyra cephalonica eggs proved almost equally good for completing development in 22.8 and 24.6 days with nymphmortality of 8 and 8.7% at 25oC; a nymph required 55.3 thrips or 144.1eggs of Corcyra for its development. At 28oC, it took 20.1 and 20.9 days (14.8 and 13.8% mortality, respectively). Trialeurodes vaporariorum and Tetranychus urticae were poor food sources and these protracted the nymphal duration to 35.3 and 38.6 days and mortality was very high (71.9 and73.1%). The adult bug consumed 228 Corcyra eggs and 146.4 thrips during survival of 14.9 and 17.7 days, respectively. O. niger was difficult to rear on thrips and Corcyra eggs as the nymph mortality was high (43.8 and 49.9%, respectively). However, A. dividens was easy to rear and it completed its development on Corcyra eggs and thrips (from Bauhinia and cucurbits) in 21.8 and 25.8 days and nymph-mortality was 15.8 and 20% respectively. It required either 137.2 Corcyra eggs or 74.6 thrips for development and adult bug consumed 260.7 eggs or 109.8 thrips during its survival of 18.5 and 15.0 days, respectively. Blaptostethus pallescens Poppius (a species being advocated for biological control in India) required 208.5 Corcyra eggs for nymph development and adult consumed 296.4 eggs during its survival. In all these species, feeding potential of the females were higher than that of males. B. pallescens failed to complete its development on T. urticae and all nymphs died by IV-stadium. Gross morphology of the male reproductive system of three anthocorids, A. confusus, O. bifilarus and B. pallescens was studied and illustrated; all these having almost round two testicular follicles in each testis. In female reproductive system of A. confusus, A. dividens, O. bifilarus and B. pallescens each ovary contained 6-7 ovarioles. Copulatory tubes measured 1.5- 1.7mm in A. confusus, 0.3mm in A. dividens, 0.07-0.12mm in O. bifilarus and 0.02-0.03mm in O. niger. Fertility analysis revealed that for O. bifilarus intrinsic rate of increase was marginally higher on thrips than on Corcyra eggs (rm=0.088 and 0.085 respectively), while for A. dividens and B. pallescens reared on Corcyra eggs vaule of rm was 0.069 and 0.079, respectively. B. pallescens exhibited Holling’s type II and curvilinear type II functional response to increasing density of Corcyra eggs as prey.enbiological phenomena, eggs, animal developmental stages, sexual reproduction, predators, developmental stages, bugs, niger, planting, biological developmentPests ,Mites, Cultivated cropsThesis