Total carbohydrate level in the haemolymph of parasitized bug, Leptocoris augur Fabr. : A pest of kusum tree, Schleichera oleosa Lour.

摘要

Leptocoris augur is a pest of kusum plant (Schleichera oleosa), which in turn is a host of lac insect. The bug isparasitized by a mermithid nematode, Hexamermis vishwakarma, which naturally checks rapid built-up of bug population. Thepresent work reports the results of total carbohydrate and glucose content in haemolymph of parasitized bugs. The totalcarbohydrates and glucose were estimated by the method of Yemm and Willis (1954) using anthrone reagent. As mermithidutilize glucose rather than trehalose, the hosts metabolism is modified to produce glucose. The concentration of totalcarbohydrates in control bug (L. augur) was very high in the haemolymph as compared to that of the parasitized bugs. Thecarbohydrate content of fat body and muscles of L. augur (host) was diminished by H. vishwakarma infections. Thus, H.vishwakarma infections diminish the efficiency of the excretory system (Devi et al, 1991).