Seasonal abundance of Blister Beetle, Mylabrispustulata Thunberg on Pigeonpea and Mungbean

Abstract

Seasonal abundance and activity period blister beetle (Mylabrispustulata) on pigeonpea and mungbean were recorded at Research Farms of Pulses Section, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The results showed that the blister beetle started appearing in pigeonpea and mungbean in late August under Punjab conditions. During the crop season, its activity increased and reached at its peak in the end of September (13.90 beetles / 4 meter row length in pigeonpea and 5.48 beetles / 1 sq. meter quadrate in mungbean) coincided with the maximum flowering and afterwards it started declining due to the termination of flowers. The activity of blister beetle was more in the morning (20.23 beetles / 4 meter row length in pigeonpea and 8.04 beetles / 1 sq. meter quadrate in mungbean) and evening hours (21.04 beetles / 4 meter row length in pigeonpea and 8.06 beetles / 1 sq. meter quadrate in mungbean) as compared to the noon hours (0.43 beetles / 4 meter row length in pigeonpea and 0.33 beetles / 1 sq. meter quadrate in mungbean).