This is the pest of Brinjal, Leucinodes arbonalis which is commonly known as shoot or fruit borer. It cause severe damage to the brinjal and other solanaceous plants and decline the crop productivity.

1. Dr. Arun B. Sawarkar
BP Arts, SMA Science & KKC Commerce College,
Chalisgaon, Dist- Jalgaon (MS)
Pest of Brinjal
Vegetable Pest
E-content developed by Dr. Arun Sawarkar

2. Today’s discussion
a) About Brinjal plant
b) Pest of brinjal
c) Leucinodes orbonalis
 Systematic position
 Marks of identification
 Life cycle
 Nature of damage
 Control measures

3. a) About Brinjal (Solanum melogena)
 Brinjal is one of the most common tropical vegetables grown worldwide.
 A large number of cultivars differing in size, shape and colour of fruits are grown.
 It has low nutritional value which provides little amounts of essential nutrients.
Even with the low nutritional value, it forms an important part of cooking across
the world.
 Globally, China contributed to 57% of production while India accounted for 30%.
Egypt, Iran and Turkey were the other major producers.
 Many pest which attack on brinjal which cause severe damage
to the crop and decline the crop production.
 About 30 to 90% of damage is caused by the insect pest.

4.  Leucinodes orbonalis (Brinjal shoot/fruit borer) (Lepidoptera: Pyraustidae)
 Epilachna spp. (Hadaa or spotted leaf beetle) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)
 Eublema olivacea (Brinjal leaf roller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
 Neuzophera particella (Brinjal stem borer) (Lepidoptera: Phycitidae)
 Urentius sentis (Brinjal lace-wing bug) (Hemiptera: Tingidae)
 Helicoverpa armigera (Fruit borer) (Lepidoptera:
b) Pest of Brinjal
Now a days genetically modified (GM) variety i.e. Bt brinjal is cultivated. It is a transgenic
plant that contains a gene from the soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis. This variety gives
the resistance to the brinjal fruit and shoot borer, Leucinodes orbonalis and fruit borer,
Helicoverpa armigera.

5. c) About Leucinodes orbonalis (Pseudostem borer)
 This pest of brinjal fruits and shoots is widely distributed
in Malaysia, Burma, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Germany
and East Africa.
 Besides brinjal, it feeds on many other solanaceous plants.
 The damage is done by the cattepillars.
 About 90% yield can be reduced due to the attack.

6. a) Systematic Position:
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pyraustidae
Genus: Leucinodes
Species: orbonalis
Leucinodes orbonalis (Pseudostem borer)
b) Host plants
Brinjal, green pea-pods and other solanaceous plants.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucinodes_orbonalis

7. c) Marks of Identification
 Larva:
 It is creamy white to pink in colour in the early stages.
 The full grown larvae is pink with sparse hairs on the
body and dark brown or blackish head with biting MP.
 Adult:
 The adults are white or dirty white with pale brown or black
spots on the thorax and abdomen.
 Wings are white with pink or blue ting and have pink or
brown or red spots on the forewings.
 Presence of dropping or wilted shoots in an eggplant field is the
surest sign of damage by this pest.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucinodes_or
bonalis

8. d) Life cycle
 The eggs are laid singly or in a group of 2-5 eggs on the underside of
the leaves, stem, flower buds or the base of developing fruits.
 A female can lay about 200-250 eggs.
 Eggs are creamy white which turn red before hatching.
 After the incubation period of 3-5 days, emerged creamy white to pink
colour larvae.
 The caterpillars bore the shoot or the fruits, one caterpillar may
destroy 4-6 fruits.
 It pass through five instars.
 The full grown larvae pupates on the plant parts or debris on the soil
surface. They pupate in boat-shaped tough cocoons.
 There are five overlapping generations in a year.
(250)E L(5)
A
7-11
Days
14-20
Days
P
3-5
Days

9. e) Nature of damage
 The damage is caused by the larvae.
 Larva bore into the nearest tender shoot or flower or fruit just after hatching.
 Larval feeding inside shoots, result in wilting of the young shoot.
 The damaged shoots ultimately drop off which reduces plant growth, which in turn,
reduces fruit number and size.
 They feeds the flowers results in failure to form fruit from damaged flowers.
 Larval feeding inside the fruit results in destruction of fruit tissue.
 About 90% yield can be reduced due to the attack.

10. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-24903-87

11. f) Control measures
i) Cultural methods
1. Crop rotation is beneficial as the insect survives only on brinjal.
2. Collection, destruction of dried shoot tips and bored fruits. This is an efficient method
because the larvae tend to pupate in the plant residues itself.
3. Burning of the infested parts and composting the crop remains is also useful.
ii) Chemical methods
1. Application of Azadirachtin(1%), endrin(0.04%), DDT (0.2%), carbaryl (0.1%), endosulfan
(0.05%) or Emamectin benzoate(5%) are effective in controlling the pests.
iii) Biological methods
1. Predators as Cheilomenes, Coccinella, Brumoides sp. feeds on the larvae.
2. Larval parasitoid as Itamoplex sp., Eriborus sp., Ichneumonids,
Bracon habetor are effective to control the pest.
iv) Mass Trapping of adult male moths using pheromones in fields is
very efficient method to control the pest.

12.  Modern Entomology by DB Tembhare, Himalaya Publishing House, Mumbai.
 A Text book of Applied Entomology (Vol. II) by KP Srivastava, Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana.
 Agricultural pests of India and South-East Asia by AS Atwal, Kalyani Publishers, Ludhiana.
 Insect Pests Infestation During Field and Storage of Fruits and Vegetables. MS Ansari, R.
Basri, SS Shekhawat, Health and Safety Aspects of Food Processing Technologies (2019) pp 121-
207.
 Biology of the Eggfruit and Shoot Borer (EFSB), Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee (Crambidae)
on the Garden Egg, Solanum gilo Raddi. A. Onekutu, AA Omoloye and JA Odebiyi, Journal of
Entomology, (2013). 10: 156-162.
 https://vikaspedia.in/agriculture/crop-production/package-of-practices/vegetables-
1/brinjal#:~:text=Brinjal%20is%20a%20hardy%20crop,of%20crop%20is%205.5%20%2D%20
6.6.
Acknowledgment

13. E-content developed by Dr. Arun Sawarkar
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