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Not AvailableInsect biodiversity of Salt Lake of Great Rann of Kutch in western India has not been studied in detail so far. This region is one of its kinds being a seasonal salt marsh representing India and Pakistan. Shore insects are one of the major invertebrates that inhabit this unique habitat and use carbon source for their growth and are considered as greenhouse pests. To identify these less described insect taxa, first specimens were morphologically delineated the species. Thereafter, DNA barcoding based on COX1 gene was applied to distinguish specimens collected into 9 different species. The quantification of biodiversity revealed that 80% of specimens belonged to Diptera and 10% each of Hymenoptera and Coleoptera. Based on molecular identification, two specimens that had 99% similarity with GenBank sequences were identified up to species level and were designated as Australospesis niveipennis (Diptera: Sepsidae) (insect code as SH6 GenBank accession no. KP227753 and SH7 accession no. KP227754) and one species designated as Atherigona varia (Diptera: Muscidae) (insect code SH2 GenBank accession no. KP227750). Three species were in dentified up to genus level, viz., Musca sp. (Diptera: Muscidae) (insect code SH1 GenBank accession no. KP227749), Microchironomus sp. (Diptera: Chironomidae) (insect code SH4 GenBank accession no. 227752) and Lispe sp. (Diptera: Muscidae) (insect code SH12 GenBank accession no. KP227758). However, other four insects could be identified up to family level only as it has similarity from 77-91% only in GenBank similarity test. These insects belonged to Chloropidae, Staphylinidae and Evaniidae. A monophyletic tree was observed with 4 clades showing interordinal relationship between 7 species of Order Diptera, 1 species of Coleoptera and 1 species of Hymenoptera. The overall transition/transversion bias R was 3.70 and nucleotide composite distance was 0.232, indicating a strong negative correlation trend, which suggests further sampling of these taxa in the Salt Lake area in different seasons.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableInsecticide resistance in Cotesia vestalis, a braconid endolarval parasitoid of the Diamondback moth Plutella xylostella. Resistance was assessed in the parasitoid populations collected from Anand (Gujarat), Bangalore (Karnataka), Bhubaneshwar (Odisha), Coimbatore (Tamilnadu), Delhi , Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), Pune (Maharshtra), Jorhat (Assam), Tirupathi (Andhra Pradesh) and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). Three insecticides viz.,Spinosad 45% SC, Indoxacarb 14.5% SC and Novoluron 10% EC were evaluated for resistance through qualitative and quantitative bioassays. The parasitoid population from Hyderabad was more resistant to all thethree insecticides than others, based on the LC50 values with a resistant factor of 79.76, 12.92 and 17.28,respectively, while the population from Delhi was susceptible to all the insecticides. Enhanced carboxyl esteraseactivity was observed in the resistant populations of the parasitoid collected from Hyderabad, Pune, Tirupathi andVaranasi. The enzyme activity was more pronounced with respect to Novoluron 10% EC (0.15-0.34IU/mg/protein/min) than Indoxacarb14.5% SC (0.13-0.31 IU/mg/protein/min) and Spinosad 45% SC (0.03-0.32IU/mg/protein/min). Native PAGE and α-naphthyl acetate staining, revealed carboxylesterase bands in the variouspopulations of the parasitoid. Variations in populations and degree of resistance accounted for the detoxifyingenzyme activity. The use of potentially resistant parasitoids in biological control programmes is discussed.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableConservation biological control is an approach to enhance the efficacy of natural enemies by ensuring their availability in an agro-ecosystem on a long temporal scale. An increased survival often leads to better fecundity and improved behaviour of the natural enemies, which in turn ensures sustainable pest management. This paper, apart from being a concise review of conservation biological control, deals with selected India-specific case studies and field experiences on habitat manipulation and refugia. Results from a Bengaluru-based study during 2012–2015 on conservation biological control in an organic mango ecosystem are also presented. It also dwells briefly on conservation of insectivorous birds and touches upon conservation biocontrol with respect to entomopathogenic microorganisms and plant disease antagonists.Not Availabl