Global warming and climate change are the major concerns for crop production and food security (IPCC, 2007). Climate change will exercise a major influence on diversity and abundance of arthropods (Sharma, 2014). In recent years, variability in climatic conditions has resulted in increased losses due to pod borers, Helicoverpa armigera, Maruca vitrata and Spodoptera exigua, pod sucking bug Clavigralla spp. and scale insects Ceroplastodes cajani.

1. Introduction
Global warming and climate change are the major concerns for crop production and food security (IPCC, 2007). Climate change will exercise a major influence on diversity
and abundance of arthropods (Sharma, 2014). In recent years, variability in climatic conditions has resulted in increased losses due to pod borers, Helicoverpa armigera,
Maruca vitrata and Spodoptera exigua, pod sucking bug Clavigralla spp. and scale insects Ceroplastodes cajani (Plate 1). Some of the emerging pest problems as a result
of climate change in chickpea and pigeonpea have been discussed below.
For more information write to: Dr HC Sharma, Principal Scientist-Entomology, ICRISAT. Email: h.sharma@cgiar.org
References
IPCC. 2007. Summary for Policymakers. In: Parry, ML, Canziani, OF, Palutikof,
JP, Van der Linden, PJ & Hanson, CE, eds. Climate Change 2007: Impacts,
Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth
Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, pp. 7-22.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Sharma HC. 2014. Climate change effects on insects: Implications for Crop
Protection and Food Security. Journal of Crop Improvement 28: 229-259.
Conclusions
• Distribution and severity of insect-pests in grain legumes will be influenced
by global warming and climate change.
• Beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua; scale insect, Ceroplastodes cajani and
aphid, Aphis craccivora are likely to emerge as major pests of chickpea and
pigeonpea.
• Understanding how climate change will affect pest incidence, crop losses
and pest management will be crucial for sustainable crop production.
July 2014ICRISAT is a member of the CGIAR Consortium
Mealy bug
Mealy bugs have emerged as a major pest of
pigeonpea and chickpea under heat and drought stress
(Plate 3). Papaya mealy bug, Paracoccus marginatus
is an invasive pest, and has been found to infest
several crops. Ceroplastodes cajani has earlier been
reported to infest pigeonpea. Mealy bugs are likely to
emerge as a major threat to crop production in future.
Black bean aphid, Aphis craccivora
Aphis craccivora infests several plant species. It becomes a serious pest of
grain legumes under warm and dry conditions. It also transmits several viral
diseases in grain legumes (Plate 6).
White fly, Bemisia
tabaci
Tobacco whitefly, Bemisia
tabaci has emerged as a
serious constraint to crop
production. Its incidence
was recently observed on
chickpea (Plate 5), which
was not reported earlier as a
host plant of this insect. The
white flies transmit several
viral diseases, which are
difficult to control.
Leaf miner
A new species of lepidopteran leaf miner
has recently been observed infesting
pigeonpea under high temperature
(>40°C) in OTC at ICRISAT (Plate 4).
This species multiplies at a faster rate
under high temperature. It is likely to
emerge as a major pest under global
warming and climate change.
Plate 2. Beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua infestation on chickpea.
Mealy bug, Ceroplastodes cajani
damage in pigeonpea.
Plate 5. White fly, Bemisia tabaci on chickpea.
Plate 4. Leaf miner, damage in pigeonpea.
Helicoverpa armigeraMaruca vitrataMelanagromyza obtusa Clavigralla sp.Lampides boeticusHelicoverpa armigera Liriomyza cicerina Aphis craccivora
Climate Change Effects on Pest Problems on Grain Legumes
HC Sharma, RS Munghate, M Pathania, T Nagaraja and SP Sharma
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru 502 324, Telangana, India.
Mealy bug infested chickpea.
Mealy bug damage in
pigeonpea in OTC.
Mealy bug colony on
pigeonpea leaves.
Beet armyworm,
Spodoptera exigua
Spodoptera exigua
commonly called as beet
armyworm is a
cosmopolitan and
polyphagous pest (Plate
2). The severity of S.
exigua has increased with
the spread of chickpea in
southern India, and its
outbreaks are triggered by
heavy rains during Oct -
Nov.
Plate 3. Mealy bug infestation in chickpea and pigeonpea.
Plate 6. Black bean aphid, Aphis craccivora infestation on chickpea and pigeonpea.
Exelastis atmosa Mylabris sp.
Plate 1. Major insect pests of grain legumes.