First report on Apanteles ruidus, Wilkinson reared on Hyblaea puera (Lepidoptera: Hyblaeidae) teak defoliator from India

The present investigation is based on the first report on Apanteles ruidus, Wilkinson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), reported for the first time on teak defoliator Hyblaea puera (Lepidoptera: Hyblaeidae) a serious pest of teak Tectona grandis (Lamiaceae) from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. The investigation was carried out in the adjoining agro-forestry areas of Uttarakhand. The extensive collection of defoliator larvae from various forest trees species for laboratory rearing and emergence of Apanteles spp. The wasps were bred from parasitized larvae of H. puera in laboratory which were collected from teak forest, Thano range, Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Presently studied species, A. ruidus may also be used as biological control agent against teak defoliator H. puera after determining its biological control potential, followed by developing their mass multiplication techniques. Thus, Apanteles species are vital larval parasitoids of several lepidopterous insect pests of economic importance to agricultural crops, commercial cash crops and forest tree species. Therefore, there are fare chances of its application against the insect pests of forest tree species without adverse effect on biodiversity

Discriminant Analysis of Morphometries of Nemipterus Species

MOIphometric measurements of threadfin bream, Nemipterus spp. (NemijJteridae) in Malaysian waters were analysed using linear discriminant analysis in order to identify the homogenous jJopulations. The percentages of cases correctly classified are 52% for N. marginatus, 92% for N. nemurus, 66% for N. nematophorus, 76% for N. tambuloides, and 90% for N. peronii

Food and Feeding Habits of Nemipterus peronii (Valenciennes) from the South China Sea

A study was conducted to investigate the food and feeding habits of Nemipterus peronii from the South China Sea. Diets consisted of fish, Leiognathus elongatus, L. splendens, Upeneus sulphureus, U. vittatus, Nemipterus sp., Trichiurus sp., Selaroides leptolepis and Saurida sp., shrimps, crabs, squids and miscellaneous decomposed organic and inorganic substances. Fish, shrimps and crabs constituted the main diets. The lowest percentage (0%) of empty stomachs was observed in August and highest in December (45%). Shrimps were absent in the stomachs of length class 9.6 to 11.5 cm while squids were absent in the stomachs of length class smaller than 13.5 cm. Relative importance offood items is presented

Reproductive characteristics of Nemipterus peronii (Valenciennes) from the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Sampling for N. peronii was conducted monthly on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia using a trawler. From a sample size of 3608 individuals, it can be deduced that the success of N. peronii is due to its reproductive characteristics. Females predominate the population at small sizes while males at larger sizes. This study indicates the existence of sex-specific differences in growth, with males growing faster than females. Wide variation in fecundity, associated with spawning frequency was also observed. The data indicated an annual cycle of reproductive activity with the peak activity occurring early in the year

Colour Pattern as an Additional Aid to the Identification of Nemipterus Species and Their Relationship

Morphometric and meristic characters of six species of the genus emipterus collected from the South China Sea of Terengganu were found overlapping and differing only very slightly. But the colour pattern of live specimens seemed to differ greatly and on this basis a field key for their identification has been presented

Preliminary estimates of growth and mortality in Nemipterus bathybus Snyder (Pisces: Nemipteridae) from the coast off Sarawak, South China Sea

Length-frequency samples of Nemipterus bathybus Snyder (Pisces: Nemipteridae) obtained in a trawl sU11ley off the coast of Sarawak, East Malaysia (South China Sea) were separated into components using the Bhattacharya method. The mean length of adjacent components. assumed to represent year classes, were used to estimate the parameters Loo and K of the von Bertalanffy equation, while the numbers of fisah in these components were used to estimate total mortality. Results were: TLoo = 31.2, K = 0.36 year-1 and Z =1.4 year -1. The results are discussed in relation to other estimates ofN. bathybus and other species of threadfin breams

Growth Characteristics of Lizard Fish (Fam: Synodontidae) in the South China Sea

A study of growth characteristics of synodontids of Malaysia was carried out in waters within the Exclusive Economic Zone, South China Sea. Five age groups were identified for Saurida tumbil and four for S. undosquamis. Growth parameters of the von Bertalanffy equation for the two species are presented

Key to Indian species of genus Brachygrammatella Girault (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) with re-description of B. indica and some new distributional records

The aim of the study was to re-describe the egg parasitoid Brachygrammatella indica Viggiani and Hayat with some additional morphometric characters, especially of the genitalic component with SEM photography, they are mostly attacked on eggs of hemipterous insect pests and they keep their population under check and balance. During present research, materials were collected from the forestry and adjoining agro-forestry areas of Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh by sweeping with net and parasitized eggs collection. In this paper Brachygrammatella indica Viggiani & Hayat is re-described with some new distributional records and key to Indian species of genus Brachygrammatella Girault also updated