An assessment of the relative abundance of normal and parasitized white leafhopper Cofana spectra (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) affecting the paddy plants in West Bengal, India. (March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mitra, Sangita; Harsha, Rupa; Hazra, Niladri; Mazumdar, Abhijit
• Is Part Of: International journal of tropical insect science. Volume 34:Number 1(2014:Mar.)
• Page Start: 14
• Page End: 21
• Publication Date: 2014-03
• Subjects: Insect pests -- Tropics -- Periodicals; Beneficial insects -- Tropics -- Periodicals; Entomology -- Tropics -- Periodicals; 595.70913
• DOI: 10.1017/S1742758413000386
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1742-7584

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title> <x content-type="archive" xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>The homopteran bug <italic>Cofana</italic><italic>spectra</italic> (Distant), also known as the white leafhopper, is abundant in rice-growing areas of India (West Bengal, Northeast and southern states) and considered as a minor pest of paddy. The proportion of <italic>Cofana</italic><italic>spectra</italic> and the endoparasitoid <italic>Halictophagus australensis</italic> Perkins varied between months and demonstrated peak abundance during March to May and October to December, which corresponded with the rice cropping periods <italic>boro</italic> (winter crop) and <italic>aman</italic> (monsoon crop), respectively. There was a negative correlation between the influence of environmental factors (air temperature, rainfall and relative humidity) and the abundance of normal and parasitized <italic>C. spectra</italic>. The proportion of parasitization by <italic>H. australensis</italic> varied with the relative abundance of <italic>C. spectra</italic>. The effect of stylopization on <italic>C.</italic><italic>spectra</italic> by the Strepsiptera may be one of the factors attributable to the suppression of the population levels of the paddy pest.</p> </abstract>