Species composition and richness of entomo-fauna associated with lac insect, Kerria lacca Kerr in western plains of India

Abstract

Objectives of the study were to find out the species of fauna associated with lac insect and to record their richness in western plains of India during 2015-2017. During the investigation 11 species of fauna associated with Kerria lacca Kerr. from 8 families under 3 were recorded representing predator species E. amabilis, P. pulverea, C. zastrowi; primary parasitoids T. tachardiae, A. purpureus, T. clavicornis, E. dewitzi and hyperparasitoids A. fakhrulhajiae, E. tachardiae, B. greeni, B. tachardiae. Of these, 8 belong to Hymenoptera, 2 from Lepidoptera, and 1 from Neuroptera. Analysis of the data revealed that 27.27 per cent of the genera as well as species belonged to family Encyrtidae; 18.18 per cent to Braconidae and 9.09 per cent each to Eupelmidae, Chalcididae, Noctuidae, Blastobasidae, Chrysopidae, and Eulophidae. E. dewitzi recorded the most abundant parasitoid among all the associated fauna with average relative densities of 27.82, 39.91, 39.53, 32.89 per cent during different seasons (Oct 2015, July and Oct 2016 and July 2017, respectively) whereas in eastern India where lac cultivation is practiced T. tachardiae and A. purpureus are most harmful parasitoids of lac insect. T. tachardiae recorded more abundant during October than A. purpureus in July. Hyperparasitoid E. tachardiae found most prevalent in October whereas A. fakhrulhajiae during July.