A Systematic catalogue of the scale insect family Margarodidae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) of the World.

Kusum (Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Oken): A potential multipurpose tree species, it's future perspective and the way forward

Ziziphus mauritiana (Indian plum, ber) is one of the most popular lac host trees to culture both the strains (rangeeni and kusmi) of Indian lac insect Kerria lacca (Kerr). A comprehensive and intensive crop surveillance and field collections of insect pests associated with Z. mauritiana trees carried out during the last five years revealed the occurrence of ten new insect pest species viz., Scutellera perplexa (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Scutellaridae); Drosicha sp. (Hemiptera: Margarodidae); Myllocerus dentifer (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); Amblyrrhinus poricollis Marshall (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); Hypolixus truncatulus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); Peltotrachelus sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); Hypolixus sp. Fabricius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); Cleonus sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); Leptocentrus narayani (Hemiptera: Membracidae) and Cassida exilis Bohemann (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) which are reported for the first time in lac production system from India. Occurrence of Myllocerus discolor Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Z. mauritiana has been reported from other parts of the country but it has been reported for the first time from the state of Jharkhand. Chrysomelid, Oocassida pudibunda (Boheman) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and membracid Otinotus sp. (Hemiptera: Membracidae) incidence on cultivated trees of Z. mautitiana has been reported from Gujarat. From Jharkhand state, it has been reported for the first time in lac production system. Distribution and occurrence of Xanthochelus faunus Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Z. mauritiana have been reported by various workers from different regions, but its occurrence in lac production system has been reported for the first time from Ranchi, Jharkhand. A number of curculionid species were found to infest this host.

First Record of Some Insect Pests on Commercial Lac Host Plant, Ziziphus mauritiana from India

Lac is a natural resin of insect origin produced by lac insect, Kerria
 lacca (Kerr) (Homoptera: Tachardiidae) which finds application in many industrial sectors. Schleichera
 oleosa (kusum) is one of the major commercial lac hosts for raising kusmi strain of lac insect. Kusmi strain of lac is highly priced in commerce than rangeeni strain due to its superior quality. This host alone is contributing about 35–40 % of the total lac production at national level. In changing climatic scenario, emergences of new insect pest complex is being observed. Comprehensive and intensive host plant surveillance and field collections of insect pests associated with lac host S.
 oleosa carried out during the last 5 years reveal the occurrence of some new pests for the first time on this specific host. Egyptian cottony cushion scale, Icerya
 aegyptiaca (Douglas) (Hemiptera: Margarodidae); Scale insect, Aulacaspis sp. (Hemiptera: Diaspididae); Leaf hopper, Amrasca biguttulla (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae); Weevils, Amblyrrhinus poricollis Schoenherr (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Peltotrachelus sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); Sweet potato bug, Physomerus
 grossipes Fabricius (Hemiptera: Coreidae) and soapberry bug, Leptocoris
 augur (F.) (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae) which have not been recorded earlier in lac production system are hereby reported for the first time from India on S. oleosa. Interestingly some of the insect pests which were reported as minor and sporadic pests by earlier workers have been replaced by another species as the Curculionids attacking on commercial lac hosts. Some of the pests which were of sporadic nature are now becoming a pest of regular occurrence with more severity of damage. Considerable variations in their period of occurrence and activity have also been noticed.

A. K. Jaiswal

Papers

New Record of Insect Pests Attacking Schleichera oleosa: A Commercial Host for Culturing Lac Insect, Kerria lacca (Kerr) from India