An intensive roving survey and pests surveillance on insect pests of wheat was carried
out to know the status of wheat pests like shoot fly, stem borer, aphids, bugs, white grubs and
leaf folders in rabi wheat ecosystem of north Karnataka during cropping period in major wheat
growing districts of Belgaum, Dharwad, Gadag and Haveri. For recording observations in each
district one major wheat growing taluk was selected and in each taluk two villages were chosen
and in each village minimum of two fields were surveyed for pests incidence. Based on the total
number of healthy plants and infected plants from plot of each one square meter the per cent
infestation was worked out. Significantly higher incidence of (21.85 %) dead heart due to shoot fly
was recorded in Dharwad district, while higher (6.7%) dead heart due to stem borer in Gadag and
white ear head (6.8/m2) in Haveri, aphids (7.30number/sq.inch) in Dharwad, white grub
(1.13/m2) in Belagavi and leaf folder (1.50 folds/plant) in Belagavi. Among all the pests white
grubs and leaf folder were recorded lowest among surveyed districts. The higher incidence of
shoot fly, stem borer and aphids across districts might be due to suitability of wheat genotypes
for its survival and sustainability, fast multiplication owing to short life cycle, prevailing
congenial environmental factors. All these factors contributed for unhindered multiplication,
survival and build of this pest in the respective districts.