author(s)
Harde Satish N, Shinde Laxmikant V, Bayas RB and Goyal MH

abstract
Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is an invasive pest which threatening cotton cultivation. To know the host range and its migration throughout the year field studies carried out from year 2014 to 2017 at cotton fields, field borders, roadside, water channel and gardens in Jalna district. The observation of host plant recorded as 0-4 grade scale.The result of these studies reveals that total 51 plant species observed as host which belongs to 15 plant families including field crops, vegetables, ornamentals, medicinal and weeds. The order of importance of hosts of P. solenopsis from the documented families was Malvacea > Solanaceae > Astaracea > Euphorbiaceae > Amaranthaceae > Portulaceae. Cotton mealybug observed to survive on Parthenium hysterophorus, Datura metel, Trienthema portulacastrum, during summer/ offseason and on Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Abutilon indicum, Withania somnifera throughout the year. In present study one new plant species Corchorus olitorius (Malvaceae) observed to be new host of cotton mealybug. During offseason mealybug was reported in stacks of infested cotton stalks and weed host survived in winter & summer season, after arrival of favorable condition carryover this pest to neighboring host and migrates to cotton. The integrated management of alternate host plants specially weeds located along roadside, field borders and within fields will help to suppress the pest if practiced regularly.