Suppression of cotton leafworm Spodoptera litura, flower beetle Mylabris pustulata and red cotton bug Dysdercus cingulatus by Rhynocoris marginatus (Fabr.) (Het., Reduviidae) in cotton field cages

Mass-reared reduviid, Rhynocoris marginatus was released in large-sized cot ton field cages against three cotton pests, Spodoptera littura, Mylabris pu stulata and Dysdercus cingulatus. Pest species were introduced into separat e cages in the absence of other pests, parasitoids and predators. Control e xperimental cages without R. marginatus were maintained for each prey set u p during the evaluation period. R. marginatus greatly reduced the infestati on of S. litura (57.5%), M. pustulata (52.3%) and D. cingulatus (45.8%). Th e leaves, flower and boil damages (32%, 35% and 28% by S. litura, M. pustul ata and D. cingulatus, respectively) and seed-cotton yield loss (1.4, 1.6 a nd 1.25 times in S. litura, M. pustulata and D, cingulatus infested cages, respectively) were reduced by R. marginatus compared with such fields witho ut R. marginatus. The field observations suggest this predator's pest suppr ession and damage reduction efficacy.