Halys dentatus Fabricius

Gupta, Ruchie & Pathania, P. C., 2017, Report on Hemipteran pest diversity on apple plantations (Malus domestica Borkh.) in Jammu and Kashmir State of India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 117 (4), pp. 356-356 : 356-

Halys dentatus Fabricius (Plate-1, Figure. e)

Taxonomic position: Hemiptera : Heteroptera : Geocorisae: Pentatomidae

Distribution: Pakistan and India ( Yasmin et al., 1991; Yousuf & Gaur, 1993 and Gupta, 2013).

Present Locality: The pest is found as a main pest throughout the studied districts viz. Doda, Ramban, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Kishtwar of Jammu Province.

Host plants: Gum Arabic tree, Mimosa tree, Horsetail (Australian pine), Mulberry, khejri (Prosopis sp), Sandal tree, Neem, golden shower tree, Mango, Pine, guava, ber, citrus and apple (( Distant, 1908; Dhiman et al., 2004; Chhetry, 2009 and Gupta, 2013).

Diagnostic features: Adult bug pale, rough, punctuate, 21 mm in length and 9 mm in width; head dark with black spots, pronotum and scutellum with light and dark stripes, Feelers (antenna) 5-segmented, cylindrical; head longer than pronotum; rostrum extends upto the fifth abdominal segment. Compound eyes dark brown, thorax brown with black spots, reaching over half of the abdomen, indistinct basal angular spots; forewing brown with dark brown spots, wing membrane bears dark brown area from where basal vein of the membrane arises; hind wing transparent; pro, meta and mesothoracic legs brown with dark brown spots, tibiae anteriorly cylindrical having dark brown spots, femur also with dark brown spots, first abdominal segment light brown dorsally and upto 3 rd segment median light brown, remaining segments brown with dark brown spots.

Damage: These insects infest apple plantations by sucking sap from leaves and fruits.