Distribution and Abundance of Seven Spotted Ladybird Beetle (Coccinella septempunctata) Linnaeus in Different Cropping System at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India

The primary objective of this research is to provide insight into how abiotic factors affect the coccinellid beetle population in Pantnagar region, India. The current study was conducted at six distinct Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, regions between November 2020 and April 2021. Predatory coccinellid beetle C. septumpunctata, diversity was investigated in a variety of crops, including ornamental, vegetable, fruit, and field crops. Seasonal abundance of C. septumpunctata, in different crops revealed that during the 50th standard meteorological week (SMW), there were more coccinellids in mustard fields than in other field crops. This suggests that conditions were favourable for both predators and prey. Similar to this, during the 12th SMW, rose crops had a high population of coccinellids, and during the 15th SMW, coriander had the largest population of ladybird beetles (98) among vegetable crops. Guava had the largest population of ladybird beetles in fruit orchards (75). Correlation studies between the population of ladybird beetles and weather factors revealed that in crops like mustard, rose, guava, and coriander, where high numbers of coccinellids were observed, the climatic conditions favored the coccinellids, and the availability of prey species.