Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an invasive pest native to the American continent. The present study focused on bio-intensive tactics like intercropping, using natural enemies, botanical insecticides and biopesticides for managing S. frugiperda for the organic production of maize in Indian conditions. A total of eight different parasitoids attacking the different stages of S. frugiperda viz., eggs and larvae were found in the study area. The total parasitism rate due to all the parasitoids ranged from 28.37 to 42.44%. The egg-larval parasitoid, Chelonus formosanus Sonan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was the dominant parasitoid (12.55%), followed by Chelonus nr. blackburni (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) (10.98%) and Coccygydium sp. (4.85%). About 36.58 percent of the egg masses collected was parasitized by egg parasitoids, among which Telenomus remus (Nixon) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) was the dominant parasitoid. The botanicals insecticides such as citronella and annona extract were most effective, resulting in 100% mortality of FAW larvae (168 h after treatment). The essential oil of garlic (100%) was found highly effective in inhibiting egg hatching, followed by geraniol (90.76%). The maize intercropped with lady’s finger (okra) recorded significantly the lowest pest infestation and recorded higher grain yield (6.17 q/ha) than other intercropping systems and control (5.10 q/ha). The overall bioefficacy of commercial biopesticides against the larvae of S. frugiperda was in the following order azadirachtin > Metarhizium anisopliae (Metch.) Sorokin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) > Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) at 168 h after treatment.

The cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley and papaya mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) are becoming major threats to the production of Gymnema sylvestre R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae) in India. Management mainly depends on chemical insecticides which cause a serious problem of pesticide residue and insecticide resistance. The use of biorational insecticides such as biopesticides, botanicals, insect growth regulators, and microbial insecticides is important components of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for successful management. We evaluated the bio-efficacy of twelve biorational insecticides, including entomopathogenic fungi (EPF), using the leaf spray method in laboratory conditions at 25 ± 1 °C, 70 % ± 5 % RH. The results revealed that the highest percent mortality was recorded by acetamiprid 20 % SP (100.00 %), followed by azadirachtin (98.27 %), Lecanicillium muscarium (2 × 10⁹ spores/mL) (85.70 %) and Ocimum sanctum leaf extract (76.87 %) at 120 h after treatment (HAT) in P. solenopsis. In P. marginatus, 100.00 %, 96.39 % and 85.67 % and 74.90 % mortalities were achieved by acetamiprid 20 % SP, azadirachtin, L. muscarium (2 × 10⁹ spores/mL) and O. sanctum leaf extract, respectively, at 120 HAT during the first spray. Various biorational insecticides showed a more or less similar trend of percent mortality in both species during the second spray. In both species, the lowest percent mortality was recorded by Andrographis paniculata leaf extract (46.29, 44.54) and (41.03, 46.39) at 120 Hours after treatment in the first and second spray, respectively. It was concluded that all the prescribed treatments are more effective than the control. Overall, azadirachtin recorded the highest percent mortality after acetamiprid and had the shortest LT₅₀ (12.52 h) and (13.87 h) values in P. solenopsis and P. marginatus, respectively. Our study emphasizes that biopesticides like Azadirachtin 1 % EC (10000 ppm), L. muscarium (2 × 10⁹ spores/mL) (5 mL/L) and O. sanctum leaf extract (5 %) may be recommended as alternatives to synthetic insecticides. Botanicals and EPF would be the most effective approach for sustainable integrated management of P. solenopsis and P. marginatus in the G. sylvestre ecosystem.

Phenacoccus manihoti Matile-Ferrero (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is an economically important invasive cassava pest responsible for the massive devastation of cassava in Asia and African continent. Initially, identifying this invasive pest posed challenges because it closely resembled native mealybug species. Additionally, the traditional morphological identification process is labor-intensive and time-consuming. Detecting invasive pests at an early stage is crucial, hence development of a rapid detection assay is essential. In the current study, we have developed a simple, rapid, sensitive, and efficient molecular detection assay for P. manihoti based on Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA). The primers for the RPA assay were designed using unique nucleic acid sequences of P. manihoti, and the protocol was standardized. Specificity test demonstrated that the RPA assay could amplify DNA of P. manihoti only, and no amplification was observed in six other mealybug species. The specificity of assay was confirmed using SYBR green-based colorimetric detection and gel electrophoresis where positive samples showed 195 bp amplicon size in P. manihoti samples. The assay successfully amplified P. manihoti DNA in thirty minutes at an annealing temperature of 41° C in a water bath and displayed a sensitivity of 72.5 picograms per microliter. The assay's simplicity, rapidity, and high sensitivity make it a valuable tool for detecting and monitoring P. manihoti in quarantine stations and facilitating in development of a portable diagnostic kit.

The invasive mealybugs, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley and Paracoccus marginatus Williams & Granara de Willink (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) are causing significant damage to Gymnema sylvestre in the semi-arid region. This study highlights the nature of the damage, severity of mealy bugs and natural enemy complex association. The severity of infestation was maximum during 23^rd and 22^nd Standard Meteorological Weeks (SMW) (3.67 and 3.66) of 2019 and 2020, respectively. The pooled data of both the years revealed that temperature has a significant positive correlation and rainfall has a negative correlation towards the severity of the pest incidence with respective r-values of 0.678** and −0.05. A total of 19 different natural enemies identified belong to 7 families of 4 insect orders. Cheilomenes sexmaculata (Fabricius) was the most common predator and among the parasitoids, three species of primary parasitoids viz., Aenasius arizonensis (Girault) and Pseudleptomastix mexicana Noyes & Schauff (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) were more abundant. Besides, six species are hyperparasitoids viz., Aprostocetus sp, Chartocerus sp., Cheiloneurus sp., Homalotylus turkmenicus Myartseva, Marietta leopardina Motschulsky and Prochiloneurus sp. were recorded from primary parasitoids.

The Bihar hairy caterpillar, Spilarctia obliqua, is a dreaded and sporadic pest on several cash crops in the Oriental region. The polyphagous feeding habit enables it to survive on a variety of crops. The group of hairy caterpillars of this study was found on young plants of the sweet basil. Young larvae feed gregariously on the under surface of the leaves later it feed solitary in nature. Damage symptoms, as skeletonization of the upper epidermis of the leaves, were observed. The identity of the pest species confirmed through morphological and molecular methods (No. MK491177). The phylogenetic analysis indicates the distribution of uniform populations of S. obliqua infesting soybean and sweet basil. The total life cycle was longest during winter (male, 68.67: female, 73.27 d) compared to Kharif season (male, 49.37; female, 53.74 d). The damage incidence ranged between 13.33–60% and 10–63.33% in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The natural enemy populations Glyptapanteles obliquae (11%) and Carcelia sp (17%) were recorded. This is the first report of S. obliqua on sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, in India.