Morphological, Molecular Characterization, Life Cycle And Age Specific Life Table Parameters of Coconut Rugose Spiralling Whitefly, Aleurodicus Rugioperculatus Martin: An Exotic Pest of India

The present study aimed at reporting the incidence of exotic pest on Coconut rugose spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin in Tamil Nadu, India. The taxonomical, morphometric, molecular characterization, life cycle and age specific life table parameters of the exotic pest were studied on coconut during 2017-19. The results revealed that rugose spiralling whitefly (RSW) is an exotic and polyphagous in nature and had total life period of 56.33± 1.01 days which includes 6.9±0.88, 19.57±2.17, 10.9±0.78 and 26.00±2.34 days of egg, nymphal, pupal and adult period, respectively. The rugose spiralling whitefly male adult was 2.6300± 0.0596 mm in length and 2.1220± 0.0576 mm width and female adult were 3.1460± 0.0329 mm in length and 2.1654± 0.0246 mm width. A. rugioperculatus was bigger than other previously reported whiteflies in India. The operculum was wrinkled and having compound pores with dagger shaped axial pores. Ligula of A. rugioperculatus extended beyond vasiform orifice. The identity of the species was further confirmed through amplification of mitochondrial COI gene 249 bp was obtained for all the isolates which were sequenced. The sequenced DNA product was submitted to NCBI- Gen Bank (Accession No. MT540964, MT679537, MT679538, MT679539, MT679540 and MT682638). Since, it is a first study on the age specific life table parameters of A. rugioperculatus and the results revealed that the net reproductive rates (Ro) 24.08 females/female/generation, intrinsic rate of increase 0.0646/day, finite rate of Increase (λ) 1.066/ day, mean fecundity (F) 41.28 eggs/female and mean generation time (T) 49.25 days, respectively

Breynia disticha (snowbush).

B. disticha is considered as an invasive shrub to small tree in USA (Florida and Hawaii), Guinea, The British Indian Ocean Territory, Niue and Cuba (Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012; Swearingen and Bargeron, 2016; PIER, 2017). The species invades areas close to where cultivated by root suckers (PIER, 2017). In Cuba it is considered as a transformer species, without further details (Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012). It is regarded as an invasive species in Florida-USA by Swearingen and Bargeron (2016), although it is not in the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council's list of invasive plant species (Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2017). At Dave's Garden (2017) it is considered by the community as an invasive species in southern Florida, having the ability to spread quickly from roots in damp soils. It is not considered as an invasive species for Florida by Gilman (2014). In Hawaii-USA it has escaped from cultivation and is spreading vegetatively around abandoned homesites in Hawaii (PIER, 2017). In Guinea, the green-form of B. disticha is considered as an invasive species along the roadsides, in secondary thickets over many hectares, at the edge of a mangrove and in woodlands (Cheek et al., 2013). As its been found in areas with no evidence of former cultivation, apparently spreading through seeds. It has been collected in fruit at one of the sites. No details about its invasiveness are given for the British Ocean Territory and Niue.

Russelia equisetiformis (firecracker plant).

Russelia equisetiformis is a shrub that is widely cultivated around the world (PROTA. 2016). It is listed as an invasive and a transformer species in Cuba (Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012). In Oceania it is reported as an invasive species that has escaped from cultivation in Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Niue and Palau (PIER, 2016). In Florida it is regarded by Florida's Exotic Pest Plant Council as a category III species; a widespread species that has the potential to form dense monocultures, primarily on disturbed sites (FLEPPC, 1993). It is regarded as a low risk species in Hawaii (Bezona et al., 2009).

Assessing the Potential Infection of Tagosodes orizicolus (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) by Rice Hoja Blanca Virus in Texas

Tagosodes orizicolus (Muir) is the most important pest of rice in Latin America. Besides causing direct damage called hopperburn from feeding on and ovipositing in rice leaves, this insect pest also transmits rice hoja blanca virus (RHBV, Family Phenuiviridae, Genus Tenuivirus) in a persistent-propagative manner. This pathosystem can cause up to 100% yield loss in Latin American rice fields. T. orizicolus and RHBV symptoms were detected in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida rice fields in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1980s. However, neither has been detected in the United States since. Two outbreaks of T. orizicolus on ratoon rice occurred in the fall of 2015 and 2018 in counties southwest and south of Houston, TX. Insects were collected from ratoon rice fields by sweep net methods. Insects from the 2015 and 2018 outbreaks were tested individually and in pools of 10, respectively, for RHBV infection and the cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) gene from Delphacidae. No insects were positive for RHBV, however, all samples yielded amplicons for the CO1 gene. Furthermore, the CO1 gene from five 2015 individuals was sequenced and found to have a 100% identity to the Fer26_Argentina and 99.81% identity to the DEL074 Venezuela isolates of T. orizicolus. Five new sequences from 2015 individuals have now been deposited in GenBank. It is imperative to stay up to date on the potential invasion and establishment of this exotic pest of rice in Texas and other rice-growing regions of the United States through continued monitoring and research.

Biological beetle small cell (Aethina tumida: Nitidulidae: Coleoptera )

Small hive beetle (SHB) Aethina tumida (Order Coleoptera، Family Nitidulidae ) is an exotic pest of honeybee colonies، native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It has been found in several of the world over the past few decades. Adults are small، their color ranges from reddish-brown to dark brown (almost black) ، and its life cycle passes through four stages، egg، larva and adult after pupping period in the soil. The beetles are attracted to a number of odors from bee colonies، and can multiply to huge numbers within infested colonies where it eat brood، honey and pollen. In certain conditions، the (SHB) destroys combs and cause comb damage and honey spoilage through feeding and defecation. If beetle infestation is very high and uncontrolled، they ultimately destroy colonies or cause them to abscond.