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Seasonal life cycle of Holotrichia longipennis (Blanchard ) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae): a serious foliage and root feeding pest in India

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Abstract

Holotrichia longipennis (Blanchard) is an extremely serious polyphagous pest in northwestern Himalayas. Both adults and grubs damage fruit, forest plants and field crops in mid and high hill areas. The adults of this species are defoliators and grubs are root feeders. Understanding the life history of H. longipennis is, therefore, essential for developing effective management strategies. H. longipennis populations were monitored and scouting for host plants was done during two consecutive years in 2011 and 2012. H. longipennis adults remain active from mid May - August and population buildup peaked during June in the north western Himalayas where they feed and damage location specific host plants. H. longipennis adults were recorded to damage 13 species of host plants from the region. Kheradhar, Palampur, Kullu, Dallash and Kwagdhar areas of north western Himalayas are the hotspots of H. longipennis. H. longipennis is univoltine and had annual life cycle with average duration of egg, larva, pre-pupa, and pupa was 13.1, 285.9, 13.2, and 9.5 days, respectively. H. longipennis completes one generation in 293–322 days in laboratory at 27 °C. Adult longevity averaged 25.3 days for males and 37.8 days for females. The grubs are exarate, scarabaeform and measured 32.9–34.2 mm (IIIrd instar) in length. The complete raster pattern H. longipennis grub and male and female genitalia of adults forms a basis for correct identification both at larval and adult stage. The species spends more than 90% of its life cycle under soil surface except for short periods for feeding and mating.

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Acknowledgements

The first author would like to thank Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and All India Network Project on Whitegrubs and Other Soil Arthropods for providing financial support for this study. Thanks are due to technical and field staff of white grub laboratory of Department of Entomology, CSK HPKV, Palampur, namely Mr. Surinder Singh (TA), Mr. Rajesh Pathania (FA) and Mr. Anil Kumar (FH) for their sincere efforts in conducting surveys and collection and maintenance of insect culture.

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  1. Mandeep Pathania

    Present address: Regional Research Station, Punjab Agricultural University, Abohar, Punjab, 152116, India

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  1. Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, 176062, India

    Mandeep Pathania, Ravinder Singh Chandel, Kuldeep Singh Verma & Pawan Kumar Mehta

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  1. Mandeep Pathania
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Pathania, M., Chandel, R.S., Verma, K.S. et al. Seasonal life cycle of Holotrichia longipennis (Blanchard ) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae): a serious foliage and root feeding pest in India. Phytoparasitica 44, 615–629 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-016-0557-7

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