author(s)
Mousumi Ghose, Swarnali Bhattacharya and SK Mandal

abstract
Field experiments were conducted during rabi season of 2015 -16and 2016-17 at Barasat II block, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal to study the seasonal occurrence of pest complex of bell pepper vis-à-vis the effect of weather parameters on their incidence. During the study, whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Genn), aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover), chilli mite (Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks), thrips (Scirthothrips dorsalis Hood) and fruit borer (Helicoverpa armigera Hubner) appeared as principal pests of bell pepper. Whitefly infested the crop from first fortnight of November to first week of April with peak population during end of March. Aphid was active from November till April with peak population during first week of April. Thrips appeared on the crop during last week of January that continued till April, with its peak population during end of March to first week of April. Fruit borers were active from first week of February to first week of April, showing peak population during first fortnight of March. Chilli mite was active during November to first fortnight of January with its peak during first fortnight of December. Among the weather parameters, maximum and minimum temperature, wind speed, rainfall and sunshine hour had positive correlation with thrips, aphids, white fly and fruit borer population, but had negative correlation with mite population. Morning and evening humidity showed positive correlation with mite population but negative correlation with thrips, aphids, white fly and fruit borer population.