Laboratory rearing of tea mosquito bug, Helopeltis theivora Waterhouse (Hemiptera: Miridae) on cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.)
| dc.contributor.author | T. N. Madhu | |
| dc.contributor.author | E. K. Saneera | |
| dc.contributor.author | R. Thava Prakasa Pandian | |
| dc.contributor.author | Bhavishya | |
| dc.contributor.author | M. Chaithra | |
| dc.contributor.author | M. Sujithra | |
| dc.contributor.author | N. R. Nagaraja | |
| dc.contributor.author | B. J. Nirmal Kumar | |
| dc.contributor.author | S. Elain Apshara | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-12-09T05:28:27Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-12-09T05:28:27Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Tea mosquito bug (TMB), Helopeltis theivora is a most serious pest on cocoa worldwide that inflicts huge economic losses under epidemic situations. Laboratory colonies are necessary to perform year-round research to develop suitable management strategies for this pest. This study aimed to establish a population of TMB on suitable cocoa-feeding substrates under laboratory conditions. We used green cocoa pods and tender shoots as a food substrate and compared the biological parameters of H. theivora between them. The adult females preferred to lay more eggs on pods (32.20 ± 1.86 eggs/female) either singly or in a small group, and low fecundity was observed on shoots (20.75 ± 1.16 eggs/female). Meanwhile, egg hatching was highest on pods (92.48 ± 2.91%) than on shoots (74.08 ± 3.73%). This pest consists of five nymphal instars and the total nymphal duration was 13.53 ± 1.26 and 14.73 ± 0.85 days on pods and shoots, respectively. In addition, the per cent survival of H. theivora was highest on pods (78.66 ± 3.46) and lowest on shoots (51.85 ± 2.33). Significant differences were recorded in adult longevity and the mean life span of males and females were 13.17 ± 1.58 and 16.63 ± 1.64 days on pods; 11.10 ± 1.41 and 14.36 ± 1.53 days on shoots, respectively. Further, females lived longer than males in both substrates. Although, TMB will survive both on pods and tender shoots; rearing on pods could be more suitable and reliable to establish a sizable population of H. theivora under laboratory conditions. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Phytoparasitica. 52(4): 64. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://14.139.158.120:4000/handle/123456789/8898 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.subject | Cocoa | |
| dc.subject | Fecundity | |
| dc.subject | Helopeltis theivora | |
| dc.subject | Pods | |
| dc.subject | Shoots | |
| dc.subject | Survival | |
| dc.title | Laboratory rearing of tea mosquito bug, Helopeltis theivora Waterhouse (Hemiptera: Miridae) on cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) | |
| dc.type | Article |