1Scarab species associated with groundnuts were surveyed in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and 2 Tamil Nadu, southern India, between 1995 and 2001. Scarab adults were collected from trees 3 on which they were feeding and/or mating, and larvae (white grubs) from groundnut fields. 4Holotrichia species, especially H. reynaudi and H. serrata were the major species associated 5 with groundnut. H. reynaudi predominated in the central Deccan area, while H. serrata was 6 most abundant in areas to the south and west. A new, undescribed, Holotrichia species near 7 H. consanguinea was collected south and south-west of Hyderabad in mixed populations with 8 H. reynaudi. However, the full extent of this new species' distribution remains uncertain. H. 9 rufoflava was rarely associated with groundnut, but was common as an adult at some locations. 10Other genera encountered during surveys were Anomala, Adoretus, Schizonycha, Autoserica. 11In survey data, densities of Holotrichia larvae and 'all other white grubs' were both very highly 12 correlated with % of damaged groundnut plants. These correlations in combination with 13 concurrent observations of plant damage establish a causal link between white grubs and plant 14 damage and death in southern Indian groundnut. Ranking of preferred host trees for adults were 15 developed from field observations for four Holotrichia species and Schizonycha spp. and will 16 assist grower-initiated surveys of pest occurrence. In combination with insecticide efficacy data 17 published elsewhere, the survey provides the basis for an environmentally friendly and 18 economically viable pest-management system for white grubs on groundnut in southern India. 19

Word count: Abstract -266 words, Main text (including references) -4,910words. 2 AbstractThe chemical control of groundnut white grubs, Holotrichia serrata F. and H.reynaudi Blanchard (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), was studied in south--central India.Microplot trials demonstrated that chlorpyrifos and imidacloprid seed--dressings were effective against H. serrata at rates as low as 0.6 and 3.5 g a.i. kg , both below optimal rates determined in microplot experiments. These data provide the foundation for an effective and sustainable program of management for groundnut white grubs in south--central India by providing key efficacy data and baseline data on farmer insecticide--use patterns.3

The male attractant pheromone of the scarab beetle Holotrichia reynaudi, an agricultural pest native to southern India, was extracted from abdominal glands of females with hexane and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Field testing of the candidate chemicals, indole, phenol, and anisole, both alone and as binary mixtures, led us to conclude that anisole was the major component of the sex pheromone. Neither male nor female beetles were attracted to indole or phenol on their own. Similarly, when indole and anisole were combined, the attractiveness of the solution did not increase over that obtained with anisole alone. However, combination of phenol and anisole did alter the attractiveness of anisole, with fewer male beetles attracted to the binary mixture than to anisole on its own. The behavior of female beetles was not altered by any of the chemicals tested. Anisole is also the sex pheromone of H. consanguinea, making this the first known example of two melolonthine scarabs sharing the same pheromone.

Field and laboratory experiments were conducted to study the residues and dissipation of Fluopyram, a succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) and tebuconazole, demethylation inhibitor (DMI) used for the control of powdery mildew and Anthracnose diseases in grape. Residues of fluopyram dissipated with a half life of 4.04 and 5.18 days, at recommended and double dose, respectively. For tebuconazole, the half life values recorded were 4.75 and 5.42 days, respectively. The residues reached below quantification limit (BQL) on 10 th and 15 th day, in both the fungicides at recommended and double the recommended dose, respectively, which suggests a Pre-Harvest Interval (PHI) of 7.76 and 9.91 days for fluopyram and tebuconazole, respectively when applied at 75 g a.i./ha and 150 g a.i./ha.

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