An annotated list of planthoppers with alternate hosts from Kallar tract of Punjab, Pakistan

Diversity of planthoppers and their host plants were studied in the "Kallar" tract of the Punjab, Pakistan (an important growing area of the world for producing Basmati rice). Planthoppers are considered the most important pests of rice. Delphacidae and Cixiidae are families of planthoppers with the most harmful species. Delphacids are primarily vector of the viruses, whereas Cixiids are vectors of phytoplasmas, mycoplasmas and prokaryotes-like associated to the class Mollicutes. Specimens of planthoppers were collected from the rice fields and surrounding weeds. A list of Fulgoromorpha is provided, with distributional and biological records as well. Records are extracted primarily from field data and specialized reference sources. Seven species from two different families of Fulgoromorpha were related to rice ecosystem (Cixiidae, one species and Delphacidae; six species). Three Delphacid species, whitebacked planthopper Sogatella furcifera, brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens and small brown planthopper (SBPH) Laodelphax striatellus are well-known vectors of severe rice pathogenic diseases in the Oriental and Paleartic regions. Laodelphax striatellus was recorded on rice for the first time in Pakistan. Among alternate hosts, Trifolium alexandrium, Leptochloa chinensis, Helianrhus allus, Medicago polymorpha and Sorghum bicolor were recorded for L. striatellus, while Leptochloa chinensis, Helianrhus allus, Medicago polymorpha, Sorghum bicolor, Zea mays and Cynodon dactylon were recorded for S. furcifera for the first time. N. lugens was recorded on weeds Leptochloa chinensis and Medicago polymorpha.Fil: Rizwan, Muhammad. Rice Research Institute; PakistánFil: Atta, Bilal. Rice Research Institute; PakistánFil: Marino, Ana Maria. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Entomología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Mariani, Roxana. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Entomología; ArgentinaFil: Sabir, Arshed Makhdoom. Rice Research Institute; PakistánFil: Tahir, Muhammad. The Islamia University of Bahawalpur; PakistánFil: Rizwan, Misbah. Government College for Women; PakistánFil: Sabar, Muhammad. Rice Research Institute; PakistánFil: Rafique, Ch. Muhammad. Rice Research Institute; PakistánFil: Afzal, Muhammad. Hill Fruit Research Station; Pakistá

Evaluation of the entomopathogenic fungi as a non-traditional control of the rice leaf roller, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) under controlled conditions

Abstract The rice leaf roller or leaf folder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a serious pest of rice crop in Pakistan. The present study was carried out to evaluate the virulence of the entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) Beauveria bassiana, Verticillium lecanii, and Metarhizium anisopliae against the third instar of C. medinalis larvae. Larvae were exposed to fungi under controlled conditions at the available commercial concentration (1 × 108 conidia ml−1). The results showed 73.33, 57.78, and 74.44% mortality rates in the in vitro assay and 56.67, 41.11 and 52.78% in the greenhouse assay of B. bassiana, V. lecanii, and M. anisopliae, respectively. The maximum mycosis from cadavers of C. medinalis was observed at B. bassiana treatment in the in vitro assay (70%) and in the greenhouse assay (53.78%). The maximum sporulation from C. medinalis cadavers was observed at B. bassiana treatment in the in vitro assay (144.67 conidia ml−1) and in greenhouse assay (96.67 conidia ml−1). These results favor the alternative use of EPF in organic rice production for management of C. medinalis