Taxonomy, distribution and pest status of Indian biotypes of Acanthoscelides obtectus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) – a new record

Abstract

Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) which is Neotropical in origin, is a well known pest of Phaseolus vulgaris L., P. lunatus L. and other grain legumes in Africa, Australia, Europe, and United States. It has crossed into a few Asian countries, and has now been recorded for the first time from mid hill ranges in Himachal Pradesh, India. The bean weevil has been found infesting different cultivars of kidney beans, P. vulgaris, and it is now widely distributed in the Indian Himalayas. It is the first report of its presence in the Indian subcontinent.