Abstract

EFFECT OF SOME ECOLOGICAL PARAMETERS ON THE OCCURRENCE OF HEXAMERMIS VISWAKARMA DHIMAN, A MERMITHID PARASITOID OF LEPTOCORIS AUGUR (FABR.)

*Sunil Kumar Tomar and S. C. Dhiman

Abstract

H. viswakaram prefers loamy and sandy soil than the clay soil. At 90% R.H. minimum mortality 10% and survival rate 90% has been recorded. Cent percent R.H. is the optimum level at which maximum hatching 90% is recorded during rainy season. At 90% R.H. Maximum 90% hatching occurred which also increased parasitization percentage. Maximum 90% moulting in post parasitic juvenile nematods, too, occurred at 90% R.H. There is no marked effect of pH range 6.0 to 7.0 on the recovery of nematodes from the soil. At temp. 30 + 20c the population of nematods (H. viswakaram) was found higher in sample area of a zone of soil.

Keywords: Ecological parameter, H. viswakarma, soil, R.H., soil temperature.