Invasion and threats of <i>Acanthoscelides obtectus</i> (Say) (Coleloptera: Bruchidae) to kidney beans in India - a first record

Abstract

Many pest species have crossed geographical boundaries and become cosmopolitan in distribution through human-mediated migrations and the import and export of food grain consignments. These pest species pose constant threats to our agriculture produce and may be responsible for losses worth billion dollars every year. Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say), a serious pest of kidney beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L., originated in the neotropics and has been reported from Australia, Europe, United States and a few Asian countries. For the first time it has now been recorded from the Indian subcontinent. The increased geographical distribution and anthropogenic domestication and diffusion of grain legumes have adapted this pest species to climates ranging from temperate to sub tropical. This pest species has invaded the Mid-Himalayan region and is a serious threat to local cultivars of kidney beans. This study on A. obtectus examines host range and distribution, invasion and threats, life history on different cultivars of P. vulgaris, host susceptibility and resistance, damage and loss and number of annual generations.

Keywords: Acanthoscelides obtectus, Kidney beans, Pest, Mid-Himalaya, Life history.