Biological Control of Mustard Aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach) in the Punjab

Mustard aphid Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach) is a serious pest of rapeseed and mustard in Punjab. The coccinellids, viz. Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus and Cheilomenes sexmaculatus. Fabricius were the most common predators of L. erysimi. The studies on the feeding potential indicated that C. septempunctata and C. sexmacuilatus consumed 380.4 and 304.3 aphids respectively during their larval development. Releases of 2nd instar larvae of C. septempunctata and C. sexmaculatus in the mustard freld @ 1000/ha proved effective in reducing mustard aphid population. C. septempunctata proved significantly better than C. sexmaculatus for the control of mustard aphid.