Abstract:
Background and Objective: Schleichera oleosa, a pest and feeder of the kusum plant, Leptocoris augur is a brilliant red polyphagous sap-sucking beetle. The salivary composition may change depending on the bug’s life cycle. For instance, salivary amylase activity rose with instar in the herbivorous beetle (L. augur). Hence, in this study, the food intake of L. augur was measured and the corresponding salivary activity of enzymes was determined. Materials and Methods: The host bug, L. augur, were collected from the field HRI (Hydraulics Research Institute) Training Centre, Saharanpur in polythene bags. The specimens were brought to the laboratory at atmospheric temperature (28±2°C) and necessary relative humidity (70%) and restored in hurricane glass lantern chimneys. Results: Physiological examination of the salivary glands of this bug has revealed a pH of 6.7 and presence of enzymes- amylase, proteinase, polygalacturonase, phosphatase, invertase, lipase, esterase and polyphenol oxidase. Diet (fatty seeds of S. oleosa) influences the occurrence of these enzymes in saliva. Conclusion: Thus, the components and activity of the salivary enzyme in L. augur are interconnected with its damage to host plants in a complicated way and the damage of L. augur to a plant’s seed is the comprehensive outcome of its saliva enzyme.