Abstract
The study aimed to identify the host plants of the Dusky Cotton Bug (Oxycarenus laetus), in various agro-ecological zones of Sindh, Pakistan, 2019. Samples were collected bi-weekly within 20 km of the Cotton Agriculture Research Station in each district of Sindh. The pest population is categorized into three levels: below 25; 25 to 49 and 50 or more adults and nymphs. The study identified approximately 63 host plants across 31 families. The highest overall mean of pest populations was recorded on Ladyfinger (Okra), with 51.75 ± 8.15 bugs per shoot at Kotdiji and 53.71 ± 4.68 per shoot at Sakrand, both in the Malvaceae family. A high overall mean of populations was also observed on Mango (Anacardiaceae) with 51.65 ± 11.99 bugs per shoot at Kotdiji and 46.42 ± 5.84 per shoot at Sakrand on Orange (Rutaceae) with 42.07 ± 8.93 bugs per shoot at Kotdiji and 45.17 ± 4.11 per shoot at Sakrand, and on Eucalyptus and Guava (Myrtaceae) with 29.75 ± 6.76 per shoot at Kotdiji and 26.53 ± 3.71 per shoot at Tandojam, respectively. Additionally, the pest was found on Jujube (Rhamnaceae) with an overall mean population of 26.92 ± 3.52 per shoot at Sakrand The results indicate that the Dusky cotton Bug is most active at the end of summer and the beginning of winter, preferring high-opened cotton bolls during period of slightly lower temperatures and humidity for overwintering from December to March on seed-producing host plants. These findings are crucial for understanding the host plant preferences of the Dusky Cotton Bug, and for implementing effective Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.