PREDATORY EFFICIENCY OF CHEILOMENES SEXMACULATA (FABRICIUS) (COLEOPTERA: COCCINELLIDAE) AGAINST APHIS CRACCIVORA KOCH ON VARIOUS HOST PLANTS OF FAMILY FABACEAE

Coccinellid beetles due to high foraging performance, immense predatory potential and high reproductive efficacy, they possess the potential to be effectively employed in biological control programmme for controling several destructive insect such as white flies, coccids, thrips, mites, adelgids, psyllids, mealy bugs and scale insects. Cheilomenes sexmaculata is predominent species against Aphis craccivora in different localities of Bihar on agricultural and horticultural plants (Ahmad et al., 2012). The knowledge of predatory efficiency plays an important role in mass rearing and its utilization in management programme. The effect of host plants quality on the development and feeding potential of each instars and adult stages of C. sexmaculata was investigated. The greater consumption of A. craccivora was observed by both adult and grubs on P. sinensis (717. 0±10.33 aphids) followed by L. purpureus (655.8±18.19 aphids), V. radiata (620.8 ± 5.04 aphids) and V. mungo (546.2±12.39 aphids). The larval and adult stages of C. sexmaculata consumed more A. craccivora on P. sinensis than other host plants. Many intrinsic characteristics of plants such as nutritional value, secondary chemicals, and morphology can influence the feeding potential of predators. Thus, in the present investigation more feeding potential was observed on P. sinensis is due to high nutritional values of the host plants

STUDY OF MUTUALISTIC ANTS ASSOCIATED WITH APHIS CRACCIVORA (HEMIPTERA: APHIDIDAE) ON VARIOUS HOST PLANTS OF FAMILY FABACEAE IN NORTHEAST BIHAR (INDIA)

Aphids are the soft bodied homopteran bugs infesting almost all types of agricultural and horticultural plants and cause considerable loss because of their polymorphism, parthenogenetic development, host alternating behaviour and ability of transmission of viral diseases. Aphids and ants have great mutualistic relationship where both partners may derived benefits from this association and has strong interaction with various host plants. The association of Aphis craccivora with ants was studied on six plants of family Fabaceae (Cajanus cajan, Lablab purpureus, Phaseolus sinensis, Vicia faba, Vigna mungo and Vigna radiata). Eleven species of aphidocolous ants viz., Camponotus compressus (Fab.), Camponotus invidus Forel, Camponotus sp., Lepisiota frauenfeldi (Mayr), Meranoplus bicolor (Guérin-Méneville), Monomorium latinode Mayr, Monomorium pharaonis (Linn.), Paratrecina longicornis (Latreille), Pheidole sp., Polyrhachis hauxwelli (Bingham) and Tetraponera rufonigra (Jerdon) belong to 3 subfamilies (Formicinae, Myrmicinae and Pseudomyrmicinae) were recorded from northeast Bihar for the first time. The maximum association of ants was observed on L. purpureus and P. sinensis followed by V. faba and V. radiata. The association of C. compressus and M. bicolor was greater on all host plants with A. craccivora than other aphids. However, P. longicornis and T. rufonigra were recorded on only one host plant with low extent

STUDY OF MUTUALISTIC ANTS ASSOCIATED WITH APHIS CRACCIVORA (HEMIPTERA: APHIDIDAE) ON VARIOUS HOST PLANTS OF FAMILY FABACEAE IN NORTHEAST BIHAR (INDIA)

Aphids are the soft bodied homopteran bugs infesting almost all types of agricultural and horticultural plants and cause considerable loss because of their polymorphism, parthenogenetic development, host alternating behaviour and ability of transmission of viral diseases. Aphids and ants have great mutualistic relationship where both partners may derived benefits from this association and has strong interaction with various host plants. The association of Aphis craccivora with ants was studied on six plants of family Fabaceae (Cajanus cajan, Lablab purpureus, Phaseolus sinensis, Vicia faba, Vigna mungo and Vigna radiata). Eleven species of aphidocolous ants viz., Camponotus compressus (Fab.), Camponotus invidus Forel, Camponotus sp., Lepisiota frauenfeldi (Mayr), Meranoplus bicolor (Guérin-Méneville), Monomorium latinode Mayr, Monomorium pharaonis (Linn.), Paratrecina longicornis (Latreille), Pheidole sp., Polyrhachis hauxwelli (Bingham) and Tetraponera rufonigra (Jerdon) belong to 3 subfamilies (Formicinae, Myrmicinae and Pseudomyrmicinae) were recorded from northeast Bihar for the first time. The maximum association of ants was observed on L. purpureus and P. sinensis followed by V. faba and V. radiata. The association of C. compressus and M. bicolor was greater on all host plants with A. craccivora than other aphids. However, P. longicornis and T. rufonigra were recorded on only one host plant with low extent

Real-Time Estimation of the Distribution of Brake Response Times for an Individual Driver Using Vehicular Ad Hoc Network

Adapting the functioning of the collision warning systems to the specific drivers' characteristics is of great benefit to drivers. For example, by customizing collision warning algorithms we can minimize false alarms, thereby reducing injuries and deaths in highway traffic accidents. In order to take the behaviors of individual drivers into account, the system needs to have a Real-Time estimation of the distribution of brake response times for an individual driver. In this paper, we propose a method for doing this estimation which is not computationally intensive and can take advantage of the information contained in all data points

Customizing Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks to Individual Drivers and Traffic Conditions

This dissertation studies the ability to individualize vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) in order to improve safety. Adapting a VANET to both its individual drivers\u27 characteristics and traffic conditions enables it to transmit in a smart manner to other vehicles. This improvement is now possible due to the progress that is being made in VANETs. To accomplish this adaptation, our approach is to use VANET data to learn drivers\u27 characteristics. This information along with the traffic data, can be used to customize the VANETs to individual drivers. In this dissertation, we show that this process benefits all the drivers by reducing the collision probability of the network of vehicles. Our Monte Carlo simulation results show that this approach achieves more than 25% reduction in traffic collision probability compared to the case with optimized equal vehicular communication access for each vehicle. Therefore, it has a considerable advantage over other systems. First, we propose a method to estimate the distribution of a driver\u27s characteristics by employing the VANET data. This is essential for our intended application in accident warning systems and vehicular communications. Second, this estimated distribution and the traffic information are used to adapt the transmission rates of vehicles to each driver\u27s safety level in order to reduce the number of collisions in the network. We derive the packet success probability for a chain of vehicles by taking multi-user interference, path loss, and fading into account. Then, by considering the delay constraints and types of potential collisions, we approximate the required channel access probabilities and illustrate the collision probability. Third, since the packet success probability and thus communication interference affect the collision probability noticeably, we examine various interference models and their effect on the collision probability with more scrutiny. In our analysis, two signal propagation models with and without carrier sensing are considered for the dissemination of periodic safety messages, and it is illustrated how employing more accurate interference models results in a higher level of safety (lower collision probability)for the network. Finally, there is an unclear relation between the intensity of an ad hoc network (the number of vehicles in a certain area) and the performance of the system. Hence, we study a reverse approach in which the geometry (intensity) of the unmanned aerial vehicles varies and certain requirements such as safety and coverage need to be satisfied. The numerical results show that safety and interference limits the coverage of the network and there is only a relatively small range of intensities which satisfy all three

Influence of Prey Species on Feeding Preference, PostEmbryonic Development and Life Span of Cheilomenes Sexmaculata (Fabricius)

Coccinellid beetles due to high foraging performance, immense predatory potential and high reproductive efficacy possess the potential to be effectively employed in biological control programme for several destructive insects such as aphids, coccids, scale insect etc. Cheilomenes sexmaculata is very common in the target area and found abundantly predating on several aphids. Hence, the feeding performance and post embryonic development of C. sexmaculata feeding on three economically important aphids, Aphis craccivora, Aphis gossypii and Lipaphis erysimi have been studied. The grubs of the predator, C. sexmaculata showed greater preference for A. craccivora (141.4± 6.67 aphids) followed by A. gossypii (122.25 ± 7.44 aphids) and L. erysimi (106.95 ± 7.73 aphids). The higher development period was observed on L. erysimi (17.50 ± 0.72 days) than A. gossypii (16.0 ± 0.5 days) and A. craccivora (15.6± 0.24 days). Similarly C. sexmaculata had higher pre-pupal and pupal period when fed on L. erysimi than A. gossypii and A. craccivora. The higher longevity of the C. sexmaculata was observed on A. craccivora (39.6 ± 1.21 days) than A. gossypii (35.25 ± 0.47 days) and L. erysimi (33.25 ± 0.47 days). It is probably due to more preference of A. craccivora than A. gossypii and L. erysimi. Hence, this predator consumed more A. craccivora than A. gossypii and L. erysimi during its life span and also during larval development period