HOST-PLANTS MEDIATED POPULATION DYNAMICS OF COTTON MEALYBUG, PHENACOCCUS SOLENOPSIS TINSLEY (HEMIPTERA: PSEUDOCOCCIDAE) AND ITS PARASITOID, AENASIUS BAMBAWALEI HAYAT (HYMENOPTERA: ENCYRTIDAE)

Present survey study was conducted to investigate host-plants mediated population dynamics of cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) and its parasitoid, Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). All the dependent variables, like percent parasitism of P. solenopsis by A. bambawalei and population density of all instars, males and females of P. solenopsis, and mummies as well as males and females of A. bambawalei, varied significantly on different plant species. The highest population (per 6 inch-twig) of adult female mealybug (35.2), male mealybug (23.3) and 1st instar mealybug (27.1) was recorded on shoeflower. The highest population of 2nd (30.9) and 3rd (28.4) instar mealybug was observed on silvery and okra, respectively. Similarly, significant variations in population density of different life stages of mealybug was also observed on rest of plant species with minimum population on brinjal. The highest population (per sweep) of adult male parasitoid was captured from silvery (14.1) and shoeflower (13.9), followed by cotton (11.4), sunflowers (9.5), brinjal, okra and tomato (5.8-7.8). Maximum population density of female parasitoid was captured from shoeflower (35.2) followed by silvery (26.9) and cotton (21.6) and of mummies (per 6 inch-twig) on shoeflower (28.6) followed cotton (16.6), tomato (10.1), okra (10.9), sunflower (6.8), silvery (6.4) and brinjal (4.8). The maximum parasitism were observed on shoeflower plants (81.3%) followed by that recorded on cotton (76.9%), tomato (72.7%), sunflower (51.1%), okra (66.5%), silvery (23.8%) and brinjal (36.4%). In conclusion, plant species play pivotal role in population dynamics of insect pest species and their associated entomophagous insects.