Archives of Current Research International

The objective of this study was to quantify the insect composition and relative abundance of both pests and natural enemies during Kharif 2024. A field survey was conducted in a paddy field at Kanchanpally village, Kowdipally mandal, Medak district, Telangana, India, during Kharif 2024 to document arthropod composition and relative abundance. Insects and associated arthropods were collected and recorded at weekly intervals using visual counts, sweep netting, pitfall traps, yellow sticky traps, and pheromone traps. A total of 1,712 individuals belonging to major arthropod groups and insect orders were documented during the study period. Hemiptera recorded the highest abundance, with 403 individuals, of which leafhoppers of the family Cicadellidae were abundant herbivores. This was followed by Lepidoptera (372 individuals), including stem borers and leaf folders; Orthoptera (221); Hymenoptera (213), including parasitoids and other beneficial insects; Araneae (147), which included predators of insect pests; Odonata (139), dominated by dragonflies and damselflies; Coleoptera (112), including predators; Diptera (71), including scavengers; Mantodea (13); Neuroptera (12); and Blattodea (9), including detritivores. At the family level, Cicadellidae was dominant within Hemiptera, Crambidae within Lepidoptera, Tettigoniidae within Orthoptera, Formicidae within Hymenoptera, Coccinellidae within Coleoptera, and Oxyopidae within Araneae. The findings indicate the coexistence of pest groups, predators, parasitoids, and other arthropods in the paddy-field ecosystem. The study provides preliminary baseline information on arthropod composition and relative abundance in a rice-growing area of Medak district and may support future ecological monitoring and pest-management studies.