Insect herbivores and their natural enemies in linseed and their population dynamics Anil Gautam Kunal*, Goswami T. N., Nirala R. B. P.**, Acharya S. S.*** Department of Entomology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana *Present Address: Cotton Section, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana Email: aniljakhad@gmail.com (corresponding author) **Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour (Bhagalpur), Bihar ***Department of Agronomy, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour (Bhagalpur), Bihar Online published on 24 October, 2019. Abstract A field experiment was conducted to explore the activity of insect herbivores in linseed, their natural enemies, and population dynamics, on variety BRLS-102 at Sabour (Bhagalpur), Bihar during rabi, 2016–17. A total of nine insect herbivores were observed of which the two thrips viz., Thrips palmi and Frankliniella schultzei are new records. Four natural enemies (predators)-Coccinella septempunctata and Menochilus sexmaculata belonging to Coccinellidae, spider (Oxyopes sp.), and Paederus sp (Staphylindiae) were observed. The linseed pests were active from mid-January to mid-March from vegetative to bud formation stage. Maximum population of Agrotis ipsilon and thrips were observed during 52nd and 9th SMW, respectively; and that of aphids, Helicoverpa armigera, Oxyopes sp., coccinellids and bud fly was on the 8th SMW. Correlation coefficients of the population/infestation of these with the weather factors are given herein to explain their population dynamics. Top Keywords Linseed, pests, predators, Helicoverpa armigera, Agrotis ipsilon, thrips, ladybird beetles, staphylinid, Oxyopes, correlation, weather factors. Top |