Dysdercus cingulatus (Fabricius)

Dysdercus cingulatus is a common pest in many of the cotton growing areas. The adults and nymphs suck the sap from the green plant as well as bolls. The bolls are attacked at all stages of the growth. The bolls attacked at formation stage are likely to drop. Rough, warty, cellular growths form at puncture site on the inner surface of the carpels. The seeds get shriveled and lint is stained. Hardened dry locks may develop due to feeding injuries by D. cingulatus, such bolls are not harvested. Small reddish brown spots on the carpels are external evidence of feeding by D. cingulatus.

Mating pairs of D. cingulatus could be easily collected from the cotton fields. Twenty such pairs are caged in plastic jars (2 litre capacity 20x 15 cm) with windows cut on sides and top and replaced by plastic mesh. Cotton seeds, soaked overnight are provided as food placed on a layer of cotton wool in a 75 cm dia petriplate (75 cm dial. The bottom of the jar is lined with 5 cm thick layer of sterilized and moistened sand. In each such rearing unit 200 nvmphs could be reared. The females deposit eggs on the sand which are collected every day and the egg collected daily are placed in a similar unit as described for rearing adults and nymphs.