Abstract
The white grub (Holotrichia sp: Scarabidae) is an important subterranean pest damaging root systems of several crops. Experiments conducted during I985 and I986 showed that at least I4 species of birds picked up the grubs exposed during ploughing operation. The important bird predators were mynasAcridotheres tristis (Linnaeus) andAcridotheres ginginianus (Latham), crowsCorvus splendens (Vieillot),Corvus macrorhynchos (Sykes), drongoDicrurus adsimilis (Hodgson) and cattle egretBubulcus ibis. The birds were found to reduce 45 to 65% grub population during 3 subsequent ploughings. The plant stand of second crop raised in bird exposed field was higher in experimental plot compared to the control. The number of birds attracted to the plough was not consistent with the density of grubs exposed but oh many extraneous factors. Factors affecting the extent of bird predation were presence of insectivorous birds in the surroundings, proximity to their breeding sites and timing of ploughing. White grub control by birds is economically cheaper and environmentally safe compared to the chemical control.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bhattacharjee N S and Bhatia H P 1981 Infestation of white grubHolotrichia consanguinea Blanchard (Scarabidae: Coleoptera) on soybean;Pesticides 15 35–36
Campbell R W and Sloan R J 1977 Natural regulation of innocuous gypsy moth population;Environ. Entomol. 6 315–322
Desai M T and Patel R M 1965 Some observations on the biology and control of white grub in soil (Holotrichia, nearConsanguinea Blanch.) affecting groundnut and cereals in Gujarat;Indian J. Entomol. 27 89–94
Dickson J D, Connor R N, Fleet R R, Jackson S A and Kroll J C (eds) 1979The role of insectivorous birds in forest ecosystem (London: Academic Press)
Kalra A N and Kulshreshtra J P 1961 Studies on the biology and control ofLachcnosterna consanguinea (Blanch), a pest of sugarcane in Bihar;Bull. Entomol. Res. 52 577–587
Kushlan J A 1978 Feeding ecology of wading birds; inWading birds (eds) A Sprunt IV, J C Ogden and S A Winkler (New York: National Audubon Society) pp 249–297
Morris R F, Cheshire W F, Miller A. A and Mott D 0 1958 The numerical response of avian and mammalian predators during a gradation of the spruce budworm;Ecology 39 487–494
Nath P and Singh J 1984 Natural enemies of white grubs;Sci. Cult. 50 63
Patel R M, Patel G G and Vyas H B 1967 Further observations on the biology and control of white grub (Holotrichia sp. nearConsanguinea) in soil affecting groundnut in Gujarat;Indian J. Entomol. 29 170–176
Stehr F W 1975 Parasitoids and predators in pest management; inIntroduction to insect pest management (eds) R L Metcalfe and W H Luckmann (New York: Wiley-Interscience) pp 147–188
Sweetman H L 1958The principals of biological control (Dubuque, Iowa: W C Brown Co.)
Torgersen T R and Campbell R W 1982 Some effects of avian predators on the western spruce bud worm in north central Washington;Environ. Entomol. 11 429–431
Torgersen T R and Mason R R 1987 Predation on egg masses of the Douglas-fir Tussockmoth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae);Environ. Entomol. 16 90–93
Tinbergen L 1960 The natural control on insects in pinewoods-I. Factors influencing the intensity of predation by songbirds;Arch. Neerl. Zool. 13 265–343
Van den Bosch R and Messenger P S 1971Biological control (New York: Intex Educational Publishers) Vyas R V, Parasharya B M and Yadav D N 1988 Dispersal of milky disease organismBacillus popilliae varholotrichiae of white grub (Holotrichia consanguinea) through birds;Indian J. Agric. Sci. 58 243-244
Yadava A. P S, Pandey S N, Bhardwaj S C and Yadava S R S 1971 Predation of white grubs (Holotrichia spp.) by birds;Indian J. Entomol. 39 169
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Parasharya, B.M., Dodia, J.F., Mathew, K.L. et al. Natural regulation of white grub (Holotrichia sp: Scarabidae) by birds in agroecosystem. J. Biosci. 19, 381–389 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02703175
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02703175