Biodiversity of predators and parasitoids of greenideine aphids (Insecta: Hemiptera: Aphididae: Greenideinae) and their host plant associations in India

Abstract

The present article lists the predators and parasitoids of the Greenideinae aphids (Insecta: Hemiptera: Aphididae: Greenideinae) infesting different food plants and their distribution in various states and union territories of India. Predators belong to one order of class Arachnida, the order Araneae (spiders) (2 families) and five orders of class Insecta: Coleoptera (family Coccinellidae), Dermaptera (family Forficulidae), Diptera (family Syrphidae), Hemiptera (family Anthocoridae) and Neuroptera (families Chrysopidae, Hemerobiidae). A total of 43 species of predators from various taxa were recorded to feed 15 species of the greenideine aphids on 12 food plant species in 14 states of India. The highest number of predators belonged to the families Coccinellidae (28 species) and Syrphidae (5 species). Most of the tritrophic associations (triplets, predators-preys-host plants) of these predators were reported in Manipur (41 triplets), Uttarakhand (22 triplets), West Bengal (10 triplets) and in other states with fewer than 10 triplets. All the parasitoids of greedineine aphids belong to a single subfamily Aphelininae (Aphelinidae: Hymenoptera) and Aphidiinae (Braconidae: Hymenoptera) in India. A total of 23 species of parasitoids were observed parasitising these aphids infesting on 19 host plants in 12 states of India. Most of the tritrophic associations (triplets, parasitoids-hosts-host plants) of these parasitoids were reported from Meghalaya (15 triplets), followed by West Bengal (9 triplets), Manipur (8 triplets), and in other states with fewer than 8 triplets. Indeed, minimal attempts have been made to record the natural enemies of these aphids in India, and an intensive and extensive survey plan is warranted to record them in unexplored areas.