Development of a checklist of Insecta and Arachnida fauna associated with okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench), in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India

A study on development of pest succession list of arthropods (pest and predators) associated fauna in okra ecosystem was made during the Kharif seasons from July to October 2023 and 2024. The studies revealed that a total of 12 pest species and three natural enemies were associated with okra crops during their different growth stages. The presence of jassids (Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida, 1913)), whitefly (Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889)) and okra shoot and fruit borer (Earias vittella (Fabricius, 1794)) were recorded from the vegetative to maturity stage of the crop and considered as a major pest, while tobacco caterpillar (Spodoptera litura (Fabricius, 1775)), red spider mite (Teytranychus spp. (Dufour, 1832)) and mealy bug (Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, 1898)) were present during vegetative to reproductive stage of the crop. Aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover, 1877)) and red cotton bug (Dysdercus cingulatus (Fabricius, 1775)) were found only during reproductive to maturity stages of the crop. Other insect pests also recorded on the crop were less significant and extent of damage caused by them. Other insect pests also recorded on the crop were less significant and extent of damage caused by them. Among these major insect-pests are observed jassid, whitefly, okra shoot & fruit borer and minor insect-pests, fruit borer, red spider mite, mealybug, short horned grasshopper, red cotton bug, tobacco caterpillar, cotton aphid and occasional insect-pests, okra semilooper and ash weevil. Results provide a baseline understanding of pest dynamics, highlighting critical infestation periods and predator activity. These findings underscore the potential of ecological pest regulation and support the development of location-specific Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies. Further, the presence and activity patterns of biological control agents emphasize the importance of their conservation and augmentation through habitat management. Incorporating these ecological insights into predictive models and decision-support tools can significantly enhance the sustainability, resilience and productivity of okra cultivation systems.