LIFE CYCLE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister (Chrysomelidae: Coleoptera) on .....

Parthenium hysterophorus, popularly known as Congress grass, is a widespread weed belonging to the Asteraceae family that has invaded roughly two million hectares of land in India. It can only be adequately controlled by adopting an integrated strategy that combines a variety of choices. At Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, the biological management of Parthenium was investigated using the leaf beetle Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister. Although Z. bicolorata is regarded as a safe biocontrol agent, it has yet to establish itself and expand in Himachal Pradesh. As a result, the current study looked into the beetle's life cycle, feeding behaviour, and natural enemies in the area. The female beetle lays about 650-700 eggs, which hatch after 36 to 72 hours and feed for 12 to 16 days on the Parthenium. It enters the earth and pupates below after the fourth instar. The beetles emerged after 8-10 days and took 25 to 28 days to complete their life cycle. The adults and larvae were both able to eat the Parthenium leaves, however only 15-20% of the flowers were consumed. Following that, we looked into the net housing condition for rearing Zygogramma beetles in the natural environment, as well as the various conditions that limit the number of the beetles in the wild. Because of several natural enemies (Rodolia cardinalis, Perillus bioculatus, Gryllus sp., etc.) that feed on the beetles' eggs and larvae, the number of beetles in Himachal Pradesh's natural habitat was not rising.

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