New Host Record of Blossom Midge, Contarinia maculipennis (Felt) (Cecidomyiidae: Diptera) in Tamil Nadu, India

The blossom midge C. maculipennis, a serious pest in orchids which infests blooms and mainly hampered the cut flower production have been newly found in Tamil Nadu in recent years. Those infesting the flower buds of Dendrobium spp. (Orchidaceae) was identified, on the basis of morphological key characters and further, the identity of midge specimen was confirmed through molecular techniques with mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (COI) gene specific primers, as C. maculipennis. The COI sequence of Contarinia species was closely (100% similarities) related with already sequenced C. maculipennis with 678 bp. Dendrobium spp. is newly regarded as one of the host plants of C. maculipennis. M. Jayasheelan | L. Allwin | G. Preetha | K. Elanchezhyan"New Host Record of Blossom Midge, Contarinia maculipennis (Felt) (Cecidomyiidae: Diptera) in Tamil Nadu, India" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-2 | Issue-5 , August 2018, URL: http://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd15859.pdf http://www.ijtsrd.com/biological-science/molecular-biology/15859/new-host-record-of-blossom-midge-contarinia-maculipennis-felt-cecidomyiidae-diptera-in-tamil-nadu-india/m-jayasheelan