A new biotype of the Asian rice gall midge Orseolia oryzae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) characterized from the Warangal population in Andhra Pradesh, India

Six distinct biotypes of the Asian rice gall midge, Orseolia oryzae (Wood-Mason), have been characterized so far from different parts of India and their geographical distribution has been well mapped and monitored annually through the national gall midge biotype studies. These studies have been showing minor changes in the virulence pattern of the pest population at Warangal in Andhra Pradesh state since 2000. Hence, a sample of the pest population from the site was collected during 2003 and selected subsequently in a greenhouse through 13 successive generations for virulence against diverse sources of plant resistance. This Warangal-derived population (WDP) was tested to record reactions of two sets of differential rice varieties used for biotype detection and known to carry one of the 10 known gall midge-resistance genes. The results revealed that WDP has acquired virulence against CR-MR1523, one of the biotype differential rice varieties, which derived resistance from the source Ptb21 cultivar. Since the virulence pattern noted for WDP was different from that noted for the six characterized biotypes, it is proposed to designate this new biotype, tentatively, as biotype 4M. Only three of the resistance genes, viz. Gm3, Gm4 and Gm8 confer resistance against this biotype.