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Received: 15th April, 2026; Accepted: 25th May, 2026

Abstract

The brown plant hopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) is a major insect pest of rice that causes significant losses in yield and grain quality. Coleopteran predators play an important role as biological control agents against rice insect pests. The present study was conducted to investigate the diversity and predatory efficiency of coleopteran species associated with N. lugens. Species composition was evaluated using diversity indices such as Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’), Simpson diversity index (D), Species richness (S) and Species evenness (E). A total of seven predatory coleopteran species were recorded. Among these collected species, Micraspis discolor exhibited the highest predatory potential against N. lugens. The predatory efficiency of coleopteran species followed the order: Micraspis discolor > Paederus fuscipes > Coccinella transversalis > Ophionea nigrofasciata > Menochilus sexmaculatus > Coccinella septempunctata > Brumoides suturalis. Significant H’ and D values indicated that the population of coleopteran predators increased with the advancement of crop growth stage. These findings suggest that these natural enemies, particularly coleopteran predators, play a crucial role in suppressing N. lugens populations and can contribute to reducing reliance on chemical pesticides in rice ecosystems