COMPARATIVE BIONOMICS OF SYRPHID FLY, Ischiodon scutellaris FABRICIUS ON DIFFERENT APHID HOSTS

The present investigations on the bionomics of syrphid fly, Ischiodon scutellaris Fabricius on three aphid hosts viz., cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover, knol-khol aphid, Lipaphis pseudobrassicae Davis and cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae Linnaeus were carried out under laboratory conditions in the Department of Entomology, B. A. College of Agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Anand during 2025-26. During the study period, the average duration of egg stage of I. scutellaris was 2.67±0.48, 2.87±0.68 and 3.20±0.66 days on A. gossypii, L. pseudobrassicae and B. brassicae, respectively. The mean duration of first, second and third instars was 2.40±0.50, 3.23±0.63 and 3.67±0.61 days, respectively on A. gossypii; 2.60±0.50, 3.47±0.50 and 3.93±0.69 days, respectively on L. pseudobrassicae; and 2.67±0.48, 3.50±0.57 and 4.30±0.75 days, respectively on B. brassicae. The total larval period was 9.30±1.09, 10.00±1.05 and 10.47±1.07 days and average hatching percentage was 76.00, 72.00 and 70.00 percent on A. gossypii, L. pseudobrassicae and B. brassicae, respectively. The mean body length and breadth of female were 8.22±0.09 mm and 2.37±0.10 mm on A. gossypii, 8.18±0.09 mm and 2.33±0.08 mm on L. pseudobrassicae and 8.11±0.23 mm and 2.31±0.08 mm on B. brassicae, respectively. In males, the body length and breadth were 9.00±0.15 mm and 2.53±0.20 mm on A. gossypii, 8.58±0.11 mm and 2.51±0.08 mm on L. pseudobrassicae and 8.26±0.11 mm and 2.46±0.06 mm on B. brassicae, respectively. The fecundity was recorded as 46.50±3.75, 36.50±2.55 and 30.70±2.67 eggs per female, total life span of female was 34.10±2.20, 36.53±1.93 and 38.07±1.86 days, while in male it was 32.10±2.37, 34.73±1.78 and 36.93±1.74 days, the sex ratio was observed as 1:1.27, 1:1.17 and 1:1.08 (male:female), on A. gossypii, L. pseudobrassicae and B. brassicae, respectively.