International Journal of Entomology Research

Authors
Nayan Roy

Abstract
In this modern era with increasing human population there is a need to increase rice (Oryza sativa L.) production per unit of land through sustainable strategies. A number of insect pests are the important limiting factor in rice fields throughout the world. Use of different broad spectrum synthetic insecticides or few botanicals are the general practices for their management without considering their population dynamics or their action threshold. Even their non judicious uses over the decades have high biomagnifications potential with adverse effects on food web. Life table study is a central theme in ecological research to understand the temporal and spatial patterns in population dynamics of any pest for their sustainable management. The host preference test of rice bug, Leptocorisa oratorius Fabricius (Hemiptera : Alydidae) in relation with phytochemical regime of rice (R) [Oryza sativa L.; Family: Poaceae, cv. Jamini (IET-12133)] and non-rice (NR) weed [Cyperus rotundus, common nut sedges, Family: Cyperaceae] were conducted in the laboratory condition. The different population growth parameters of L. oratorius on R were significantly differed (P< 0.005) from the NR system like higher intrinsic (r_m) and finite (λ) rate of increase through shorter generation time (T_c) and doubling time (DT). These differences were due to better nutritional quality relative to anti-nutritional factors in the respective host system. Thus, by knowing the host quality one can gain triple-E (ecological, environmental and economical) sustainability for management of this pest (L. oratorius) population or other such pests in any agro ecosystem in near future.