POPULATION DYNAMICS OF MESOMORPHUS VILLIGER BLANCHARD IN FLUE CURED VIRGINIA TOBACCO

Abstract

Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco is infested by various chewing and sucking pests throughout the crop season and ground beetle, Mesomorphus villiger (Blanchard) (Tenebrionidae: Coleoptera) is one among them. The newly transplanted seedlings suffer from injury due to ground beetles. Even though it is a minor pest feeding on grasses, weeds and decaying organic matter, it is a menace in tobacco as it causes damage to the freshly transplanted seedlings already subjected to transplantation shock. When the beetles gnaw the stem deeply, seedlings die causing gaps in the field. In severe cases, the damage necessitates replanting. Estimation of M.villiger population abundance under climate change scenario is extremely important and can have an impact on their management. The results indicated that maximum and minimum temperatures have a positive correlation with ground beetle population where the latter has a significant effect (r=0.86*). Morning relative humidity and rainfall had negative correlation with M.villiger population, where the former has a significant effect (r=-0.37*).