Survey on parasitoids of shoot, panicle and capsule borer, Conogethes sp., (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in small cardamom of cardamom hill reserve, Kerala

Abstract

Survey was conducted in the three different cardamom zones, viz., Vandanmedu (Zone A), Myladumpara (Zone B), and Santhanpara (Zone C) to study the incidence of natural parasitoids of Conogethes sp., on cardamom plant parts viz., shoot, panicle and capsule in Cardamom Hill Reserve (CHR), Idukki district, Kerala. under Pesticide Applied Cardamom Field (PACF) and Pesticide Non Applied Cardamom Field (PNACF) and compared. Two natural parasitoids viz., larval parasitoid, Apanteles taragamae Vierick (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and larval-pupal parasitoid, Agrypon sp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) only were recorded. Apanteles taragamae parasitism was high on the Conogethes population found on capsules (1.01 to 16.79%) than shoots (0.13 to 0.54%) and panicles (0.03%) and also noticed first time in shoots and panicles. Agrypon sp. was high on the Conogethes population found on shoots only (5.46 to 9.63%) and this species not parasitized on Conogethes in panicles and capsules. It is suggested that this well known species of local strain be further evaluated for potential use in mass rearing and augmentative release of this parasitoid for managing Conogethes in cardamom ecosystem.