Reduvius delicatula Distant, 1909

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-

Reduvius delicatula Distant (Plate-1, Figure. h)

Taxonomic status: Hemiptera : Reduviidae : Reduviinae

Distribution: Reduvius delicatula has been reported for the first time (new record) as a harmful pest by Gupta (2007) and Tara and Gupta (2009) from Jammu, India.

Host plants: Malus domestica Borkh ( Gupta, 2007 and Tara & Gupta, 2009)

Present Locality: The pest has been recorded from apple plantations from Doda, Ramban, Poonch and Kishtwar districts of Jammu Province of Jammu and Kashmir State .

Diagnostic features: Adult orange brown, about 8 mm. in length and 3 mm. in width. Head longer than width, opisthognathus, often freely movable; possesses large paired compound eyes and paired occelli; mouth elongated forming a short curved rostrum; mouthparts piercing and sucking type, Mandibles and maxillae present as stylets with in the sheath of labia; antennae filiform, 4-segmented; prosternum with a median, finely striated longitudinal groove; beak short, 3-segmented, its tip fitting into the prosternal groove; antenna with last segment not swollen; front femora not more than moderately enlarged; head with a transverse suture near eyes; thorax wider than length, shining, covered with pits or pores, possesses long pubescence on the lateral sides, well developed wings with forewings harder than hind wings which possesses red spots on the posterior portion and a well developed V-shaped scutellum; abdomen well developed, dorsally concave to accommodate the wings.

Damage: As the summer season commences, the population of these bugs starts building and maximum population has been observed during May to September. These bugs are important pests of apple plantations and are found highly destructive as they suck the juice from leaves, shoots and soft branches which makes the tender shoots and leaves to dry up that ultimately reduces the fruit yield.