Exploration Of Native Plants Of Assam For Host Preference Of Lac Insect <i>Kerria Chinensis</i>

Field and laboratory experiments were carried out at the Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat during October, 2018 to April, 2019 to study the host plant preference of local lac insect Kerria chinensis on eight native plants of Assam viz., Flemingia semialata, F. strobilifera, Indigofera teysmannii, Ficus religiosa, Zizyphus mauritiana, Litchi chinensis, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Cajanus cajan. Results indicated that the maximum productivity of broodlac (0.31± 0.01kg) and longest lifecycle duration (171.92± 2.08 days) was recorded in F. semialata. Study on morphological parameters revealed that the girth of the bark of the plants possesses significant negative correlation with the settlement density of crawlers as well as production of lac. However, trichome density of the bark was found to possess positive but non-significant correlation with the settlement density of crawlers as well as production of lac.