Occurrence of dipteran and coleopteran insects in Cultivated Edible Mushrooms

Abstract

The commercially cultivated mushrooms viz., Agaricus bisporus and Pleurotus spp. are most suitable host to the insect and Collembola fauna. The cultivated mushrooms were collected from the mushroom units growing,Agaricus spp. and /or Pleurotus spp. located in various districts of Himachal Pradesh viz., Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan and Una. Samples from pasteurized and unpasteurized compost, casing material, spent compost, spawned compost, cropping beds, platform soil and sporophores were collected and analyzed to record the incidence of insect fauna. Also, the adult dipteran flies hovering on the cropping bags and coleopterans feeding on the fruiting bodies were collected/ picked.Insects belonging to two Orders viz. Diptera and Coleoptera were conspicuous by their presence/ abundance in the farms; their population count relating to the conditions of hygiene in and around the cultivation area. Among dipterans, the flies belonging to Family Sciaridae (Sciara sp.) and Phoridae (Megaselia sp.) registered their presence. Incidence of four genera of beetles viz. Cyllodes indicus, Scaphisoma nigrofasciatum, Staphylinus sp. and Spondotriplax pallidipes also recorded. The aboundance of Sciara sp. was observed from March to May under Solan conditions. The developmental phase of Sciara sp. from egg to adult was completed in 13.7 days in button mushroom as compared to 16.7 days in oyster mushroom. This fly inflicted heavy quantitative and qualitative yield losses. Quantum of damage was influenced by the factors like initial inoculum level, mushroom species involved and crop stage at which infection occurred.