Pentatomid bugs
Species: Eocanthecona furcellata Wolff. (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
- It is one of the predators of pests of cashew recorded in cashew plantations in Puttur region of Karnataka. It is commonly noticed between September and March in cashew plantations but in very low intensities.
- This pest predates upon soft bodied insects especially leaf feeding caterpillars including hairy caterpillars and flower damaging caterpillars.
- Egg incubation period lasted for 6-7 days. There were five nymphal instars being completed in 15-19 days when reared on greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Gracillaridae) under laboratory conditions and cannibalism was not recorded. Female bugs were bigger and had more longevity compared to male bugs. Mean fecundity was 314 eggs.
- Since this predatory bug has shorter life cycle, higher fecundity, high survival ability; it could be mass multiplied and promoted in suitable biological pest control programmes.
Reference: K Vanitha, TN Raviprasad and V Shwetha. 2018. Life cycle of Eocanthecona furcellata Wolff. (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) a predatory bug in cashew plantations, upon rearing on wax moth larvae. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies, 6: 3007-3010.