Records of insect pests attacking Salix spp (willow) in the Spiti valley, Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh

Author: Pawan Kumar, Tamanna Singh Thakur, Akhil Kumar and Sandeep Sharma

The dry temperate and cold desert areas of Himachal Pradesh are considered to be the areas for production and utilization of willows, yet very little research work on the extent of distribution, the number of species and insect pest attacks on willows has been done which needs to be updated to subsequently boost the wood-based industry which has great scope for extended expansion in this region. During the present investigations, field surveys were conducted to monitor the insect pest infestation on Salix species at six sites viz Lalung, Giu, Guling, Mud, Losar and Chichumarea of the Spiti valley, Himachal Pradesh. Specimens of insect species were collected from Salix dominant areas of Spiti valley and were preserved for further identification and taxonomic characterization. The study led to identification of 9 insect species with their extent of damage and occurrence in the field. Nine species of insects belonging to the order Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera were identified. Two insect species viz Tuberolachnus salignus and Nematus pavidus were found causing serious damage to willow trees in Spiti valley, Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.