A STUDY OF COMPARISON OF FIELD EFFECTIVENESS OF COCCINILLID PREDATORS AND CHEMICAL INSECTICIDES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SUGARCANE BLACK BUG CAVELARIUS EXCAVATUS (DIST.) (LYGAEDAE: HEMIPTERA) IN SHAHPUR SARGODHA, PAKISTAN.

A study was conducted on the effectiveness of Coccinillids predators and granular insecticide (Thimit) against the sugarcane black bug Cavelarius excavates (Dist.) at Yousaf Sugar Mills (YSML) area Shahpur Sargodha where it became a serious pest in 2006. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomize design with four replications and three treatments including a control/check. The coccinellid beetles Coccinella undicimpuntat Linnaeus, Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricus), Coccinella septumpunctata Linnaeus and Brumoides saturalis (Fabricus) @ 500 adults/ month/ plot were redistributed and compared with twice application of insecticide (Thimit) @ 8 kg/ acre. The results showed that the average infestation of the black bug was 43.81%, 75.17% and 64.06% in the biological, chemical treated and control plots, respectively. The highest infestation of the pest was recorded on ratoon crop (46.41%) followed by autumn crop (11.92%) and spring sown crop (9.58%). While the relative abundance of the coccinellid predators was 16.02%, 4.246% and 7.89% in the biological, chemical and control plot, respectively. It is concluded from this experiment that coccinellid predators play a vital role in suppressing the population of the sugarcane black bug if they are not disturbed by chemical insecticides.