Seasonal abundance of Cassida vittata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and associated insect predators in three sugar beet plantations

Abstract

Cassida vittata Vill. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a major pest of sugar beet, causing significant losses in root yield and sugar content. This work was done at the experimental farm of Sakha Agricultural Research Station during the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons. In the first season, the population density of C. vittata was lowest (10.69 larvae /5 plants) in the first plantation, followed by the second plantation (13.20), while the highest insect density (28.06) was recorded in the third plantation. The corresponding values of the second season were 10.06, 12.86, and 32.26 for the three plantations, respectively. Population densities of the predators; Chrysoperla carnea Stephens (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), formicids, Coccinella undecimpunctata (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Paederus alfierii Koch (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), were also highest in the third plantation compared to the first or second one. Correlations between C. vittata larval populations and its associated insect predators were highly significant positive in both study seasons. Thus, these predators play an important role in the integrated management of insect pests in sugar beet fields.