Checklist of insect and acarine fauna associated with sponge gourd, Luffa cylindrica (L.) in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India

Abstract

Surveys for the insect and acarine fauna associated with sponge gourd in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of Varanasi, Mirzapur and Deoria districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India were carried out during the Kharif seasons of 2013-16. Insects belonging to seven orders were recorded were either phytophagous viz., Diptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hemiptera and Orthoptera or predatory viz., Coleoptera, Hemiptera and Dictyoptera or were pollinating the crop viz., Hymenoptera. Amongst the pests, melon weevil (Acythopeus curvirostris citrulli), cucurbit fruit fly (Bactrocera cucurbitae), Blister beetle (Mylabris phalerata and M. pustulata) and whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) were observed as major pests as their damage were e”10 per cent. Other pests like pumpkin beetles (Raphidopalpa foveicollis, Aulocophora lewisii, Aulacophora intermedia), leaf miner (Liriomyza trifolii), aphid (Aphis gossypii), gall fly (Lasioptera falcate), cucumber moth (Diaphania indica), Red spider mite (Tetranychus spp.) etc. were the minor pests of this summer cucurbit. This paper records the insects and acarines associated with this crop for the first time from this region.