All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Biological Control of Crop Pests

Not AvailableSurveys were undertaken to document the fauna of insects, spiders and entomopathogenic nematodesacross India despite the travel restrictions due to COVID-19. The expeditions undertaken yielded several species of natural enemies viz.,Chalcididae (66.32%), Eulophidae (19.94%), Pteromalidae (4.14%) and Encyrtidae (3.37%) of Hymenoptera and 14 species of trichogrammatids representing 7 genera. The predominant genera of hymenopteran insect parasitoids were identified as Dirhinus Dalman (30.47%) followed by Brachymeria Westwood (27.73%), Hockeria Walker (22.27%) and Antrocephalus Kirby (18.75%). Revisionary studies of the braconid parasitoid, Apanteles sp. ater-group including subgroup eublemmae of the genus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of the Oriental region was carried out with an illustrated key, in which a total of 97 species were recorded and illustrated. Three species of tachinid flies, Peribaea orbata on larva of Spodoptera litura, Halidaia luteicornis on larva of Parnara sp., Sturmiopsis inferens on larva of Sesamia inferens and Carcelia sp. from the larvae of Helicoverpa armigera (Noctuidae) were identified and described. The spider fauna of rice ecosystem was documented, where six species of long jawed orb weaver, Tetragnatha species have been described of which T. keyserlingi was the predominant species across the surveyed locations in Tamil Nadu. The species, Tetragnathanitens collected from Tamil Nadu and Telangana was the first report from India. The spitting spider, Scytodes fusca Walckenaer of family Scyotidae was redescribed with documentation of variations in the vulval pattern of the female and theory about the introduction of this Pantropical species to India.Not Availabl

A new species of Icerya Signoret (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Monophlebidae) and a key to species of the genus found in India

Joshi, Sunil, Navik, Omprakash (2021): A new species of Icerya Signoret (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Monophlebidae) and a key to species of the genus found in India. Zootaxa 4920 (2): 200-210, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4920.2.

Icerya Signoret. They 1876

Key to the adult females of species of <i>Icerya</i> Signoret found in India <p>Some couplets are adopted from the key by Unruh & Gullan (2008b).</p> <p>1(0) Open-centre pores present.............................................................................. 2</p> <p>– Open-centre pores absent.............................................................................. 8</p> <p>2(1) Antenna with fewer than 11 segments..................................................................... 3</p> <p>– Antenna with 11 segments.............................................................................. 4</p> <p> 3(2) Antenna with 8 or 9 segments. Ovisac band present. Open-centre pores with sclerotized outer rim and 6–8 small, widely spaced outer loculi.............................................................................. <b> <i>I. pilosa</i> Green</b> </p> <p> – Antenna with 9 segments. Ovisac band absent. Open-centre pores each with a highly chitinised outer rim and 5 or 6 much smaller, widely spaced outer loculi........................................................... <b> <i>I. kumari</i> (Rao)</b> </p> <p> 4(2) Open-centre pores each with an internal triangular projection on rim....................... <b> <i>I. seychellarum</i> (Westwood)</b> </p> <p>– Open-centre pores each without an internal triangular projection on rim.......................................... 5</p> <p>5(4) With one cicatrix..................................................................................... 6</p> <p>– With three cicatrices................................................................................... 7</p> <p> 6(5) Open-centre pores each with 14–16 outer loculi; ovisac band containing 5 types of pores........ <b> <i>I. formicarum</i> Newstead</b> </p> <p> – Open-centre pores each with 18–24 loculi; ovisac band containing 2 types of pores...................... <b> <i>I. menoni</i> Rao</b> </p> <p> 7(5) Abdominal spiracles numbering 2 pairs.................................................... <b> <i>I. purchasi</i> Maskell</b> </p> <p> – Abdominal spiracles numbering 3 pairs........................................................ <b> <i>I. crocea</i> Green</b> </p> <p>8(1) Ovisac band absent................................................................................... 9</p> <p>– Ovisac band present.................................................................................. 10</p> <p> 9(8) Ventral margin and submargin of head and thorax with simple multilocular pores, each with a bilocular centre.............................................................................................. <b> <i>I. travancorensis</i> Rao</b> </p> <p> – Ventral margin and submargin of head and thorax with simple multilocular pores, each with a trilocular centre................................................................................................... <i>I.</i> <i>jaihind</i> (Rao)</p> <p> 10(8) With only 1 cicatrix................................................................ <b> <i>I. aegyptiaca</i> (Douglas)</b> </p> <p>– With 3 cicatrices.................................................................................... 11</p> <p>11(10) Marginal region and dorsum with simple multilocular pores, each with a bilocular centre that is not dumbbell shaped... 12</p> <p>– Only marginal region with simple multilocular pores, each with dumbbell-shaped bilocular centre.................... 14</p> <p> 12(11) Ovisac band containing multilocular pores each having a trilocular centre and 6 or 7 outer loculi with stalked profile.......................................................................................... <b> <i>I. assamensis</i> (Rao)</b> </p> <p>– Ovisac band containing multilocular pores, each with either a quadrilocular or a quinquelocular centre and 8 outer loculi without stalked profile................................................................................... 13</p> <p> 13(12) Dorsal surface with many simple multilocular pores, each with a quinquelocular or hexalocular centre and 4–6 outer loculi......................................................................................... <b> <i>I. minor</i> Green</b> </p> <p> – Dorsal surface with very few simple multilocular pores, each with a quinquelocular or hexalocular centre and 4–6 outer loculi................................................................................... <b> <i>I. pulchra</i> (Leonardi)</b> </p> <p> 14(11) Ovisac band 3–5 pores wide, containing 4 types of pore: larger simple multilocular pores with bilocular or rarely trilocular centres; and smaller simple multilocular pores with bilocular or trilocular centres. Venter of each thoracic segment with simple multilocular pores, similar to genital pores, forming a submarginal band and a transverse row across segment.............................................................................................. <b> <i>I. zimmermanni</i> Green</b> </p> <p> – Ovisac band 6–8 pores wide, containing 5 types of pore: larger simple multilocular pores of 3 types, with unilocular or trilocular, or rarely quadrilocular centres respectively; and smaller simple multilocular pores with unilocular centers, of 2 types; one with 6 funnel-shaped outer loculi, and the other with 6 or 7 oval outer loculi. Simple multilocular pores similar to genital pores present only in genital and anal areas. Venter of each thoracic and abdominal segments with submarginal band of simple multilocular pores, each with an unilocular centre and 10 to 14 outer loculi; each segment without any transverse row of pores.............................................................................. <b> <i>I. viraktamathi</i> Joshi sp. n.</b> </p>Published as part of <i>Joshi, Sunil & Navik, Omprakash, 2021, A new species of Icerya Signoret (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Monophlebidae) and a key to species of the genus found in India, pp. 200-210 in Zootaxa 4920 (2)</i> on page 209, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4920.2.2, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/4475163">http://zenodo.org/record/4475163</a&gt

A new species of the genus Streblocera Westwood (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Euphorinae) from peninsular India

Gupta, Ankita, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Pattar, Rohit, Navik, Omprakash (2022): A new species of the genus Streblocera Westwood (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Euphorinae) from peninsular India. Zootaxa 5175 (4): 494-498, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5175.4.

Two new species of the genera Leiophron Nees and Paroligoneurus Muesebeck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from northern India

Gupta, Ankita, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Pattar, Rohit, Navik, Omprakash, Mahendiran, G. (2022): Two new species of the genera Leiophron Nees and Paroligoneurus Muesebeck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from northern India. Zootaxa 5175 (5): 593-599, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5175.5.

Redescription of Pulvinaria indica Avasthi & Shafee, 1985 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) with new host and distribution records

Joshi, Sunil, Ramya, R.S., Navik, Omprakash, Pawar, S.A., Hole, U.B., Tambe, A.B. (2019): Redescription of Pulvinaria indica Avasthi & Shafee, 1985 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) with new host and distribution records. Zootaxa 4545 (1): 133-138, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4545.1.

Genetic & Molecular Approaches for Management of Potato Viral Diseases and Their Vectors

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