author(s)
Zafar Ullah Shah, Amjad Ali, Ibrar-Ul-Haq, Faisal Hafeez

abstract
Thirty four host or shelter plants were studied for the prevalence of dusky cotton bug (DCB), Oxycarenus hyalinipennis Costa pest becoming a threat to cotton crop in Pakistan) from January, 2013 to December, 2014, in three different locations in the field area around Bahawalpur city, Punjab, Pakistan. The levels of pest prevalence were as ‘A’ (50 or more adults/nymphs of DCB / terminal shoot (10cm), ‘B’ (25 or more adults/nymphs of DCB/terminal shoot (10cm) and ‘C’ (below 25 adults/nymphs of DCB / terminal shoot (10cm). Maximum prevalence of DCB was observed on cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (5.24%) followed by Moringa, Moringa oleifera (3.75%) under category ‘A’, during the year, 2014. The least prevalence (0.33%) of the pest was recorded on each on Gutta (Tagetes erecta), Phalsa (Grewia asiatica), Jasmine (Jasminum officinale), Maku (Solanum nigrum) and Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) under category ‘C’, during the year, 2013.The pest passed the peak season of winter (December to March) mainly on Moringa, Mango (Mangifera indica), Abutilon (Abutilon indicum), Guava (Psidium guajava), Sweet lemon (Citrus limetta), Ficus (Ficus benjamina), cotton sticks (Gossypium hirsutum) and China Rose (Hibiscus spp.), while it confined only on cotton, okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and abutilon from August-November. There was no pest prevalence on wheat (Triticum sp.), Chillies (Capsicum annum) and Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) throughout the observation period during, 2013-14.