B.Sc (Hons) Ag 3rd year

1. Lecture 6
INSECT PEST OF OILSEED CROPS
RK PANSE
Asstt Prof. (Entomology)
CoA, Balaghat
Subject: Pests of crop and stored grain and their Management

2. Major oil seed crops are
Ground nut
Mustard
Sesame/Linseed
Safflower
Sun flower
Castor

3. INSECT PEST OF GROUNDNUT

4. The important insects pests recorded
on ground nut are
I . Leaf feeders or Defoliators
1. Leaf miner : Aproaerema modicella
2. Hairy caterpillars
Red headed hairy caterpillar : Amsacta alibistriga
A. Moorei
Black headed hairy caterpillar : Spilarctia obliqua
1. Tobacco caterpillar : Spodoptera litura
2. Gram pod borer : Helicoverpa armigera
II: Sap feeders
Aphids : Aphis craccivora
Leaf hopper : Empoaca kerri
Pod bug : Elasmolomus sordidus
Thrips : Scirtothrips dorsalis

5. III . Subterranean pests
Termites : Odontotermies obesus
White grub : Holotrichia serrata
Ants : Dorylus orientalis
IV. Borer pests
Pod borer : Anisolabis annulipes
Stem borer : Sphenoptera perotetti
Bud borer : Anarsia ephippias

6. Root grub, Holotrichia consanguinea,
Melolonthidae, Coleoptera
Distribution
Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat
Host range
Sugarcane, Maize, Sorghum, Chillies, Bhendi,
Brinjal and vanilla
Biology
Egg period: 7 – 10 days
Lays eggs singly
Site: soil
Grub:
Whitish yellow in colour
Pupa:
Pupates in soil, diapause from October to April
Adult:
Dark brown
beetles

7. Eggs
Matured larva
 Early instars, translucent white in colour, first instars feedon
organic matter, humus of soil
Fully fed larvae 5 cm in length grey in colour with dark brown hairs.
Second and subsequent instars feed on root lets
Bionomics: The dark brown adult beetles reenter the soil to
hide and lay eggs. Female lays 20 - 80 white, roundish eggs
in clusters. Egg period 9 - 11 days. Grubs are white and
translucent. Pupates in soil and remain as pupae until the
following year. The adult beetles emerge with the first
monsoon showers.

8. Third-Ins&r
Ñ£cOBÓ ÏhêtBF

9. NATURE OF DAMAGE
Grubs feed on nodules and fine rootlets
as a result of which the plants become
pale in colour and wilted in appearance
and ultimately dry up .
Wilted plants do not have tap root and
rootlets.

10. Management:
Adult (Beetle)
Spray of Imidacloprid 17.8 SL @
0.2% or Carbaryl 50% W.P. @ 0.2%
to control beetle.
• Mechanical collection of beetle can be done by jerking of host
tree at night around 9.00 pm. & killing them in 5% Kerosene water.
• The Pheromone (Methoxybenzene) has an unique property of
acting as aggregation pheromone.
Materials for pheromone dispenser:
i.Wire 30 cm. long
ii.Sponge 10 cm2
iii.Pheromone 3 ml
iv.Stone about 50 g.
(Pheromone dispenser 3/tree/night
3-4 evenings within a radius of 20
meter)
Next

11. Grub management
Seed treatment:
Quinalphos 25 EC @ 5 g a.i./kg seed or Imidacloprid 17.8
SL @ 5 g a. i. /kg seed.
Seed furrow application:
Quinalphos 25 EC @ 400 g a. i. /ha
Imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 48 g a. i./ha
Cultural practices:
Early pre-monsoon sowing (irrigated)
Deep ploughing after harvesting of
crop
Next

12. I. Hairy Caterpillars
a. Red headed hairy caterpillar: 1. Amsacta albistriga
( Arctiidae : Lepidoptera)
• Adults are medium sized moths
•Fore wings are white with brown streaks all over the wing
•Yellowish streak along the anterior margin of the fore wing
•Hind wings are white with with black markings
•A prominent yellow band is found on the head
•Predominant in South India

13. Groundnut hairy catterpillar : Amsacta moorei
( Lepidoptera : Arctiidae)

14. LIFE CYCLE
Egg: Eggs are cream coloured or bright yellow in colour and laid in
groups or in clusters on the available host plants or occasionally
on the vegetation, clods of the earth, stones, dry twigs etc.,
Each female lays – 600 – 700 eggs
I.P – 3-4 days
Larva : passes 7 instars
Hairy caterpillar reddish brown with black band on either end and
having reddish brown hair all over the body.
L.P – 25-40 days
Pupa : the grown up larvae burrow the moist soil and pupate in the
earthen soil.
P.P- 9-10 days

15. NATURE OF DAMAGE
The larvae hatch from the eggs feed gregariously by scarping the
green matter or skeletonization on the under surface of the young
leaflets leaving the upper epidermal layer intact.
Later feed voraciously on the leaves leaving the petiole and
midribs and main stem of the plants.
They march from field to field in a gregarious manner The
affected field appear as if grazed by cattle .

16. MANAGEMENT
-Collection and destruction of egg masses and hand picking of
larvae
-The barnyard millet (Echinochloea frumentacea.) may act asstrong
barrier
-Summer ploughing and poison baiting.
-Erection of light traps soon after the monsoon for 20-45 daysand
collecting and killing of adult moths are found to be very effective.
-The dispersing larvae of hairy caterpillar from one field toanother
can be checked by digging trenches across the direction of their
march, and prompt destruction of larvae.

17. INSECT PEST OF MUSTARD

18. Mustard sawfly : Athalia lugens
(Hymnoptera:Tenthrinidae)
Adult fly measures 8-11 mm in length and black coloured insect with
orange yellow markings on the body especially femora and thorax
Female with saw like ovipositor and abdomen is orange colour
Wings are translucent, Smokey with black coloured veins

19. LIFE CYCLE
Eggs : Eggs are insert singly, in slits made with saw like ovipositor alongthe
under sides of the leaf margin Each female lays 60 eggs
I.P 4-5 days
Larva : Cylindrical , greenish black in colour with wrinkled body and has 7-8
pairs of prolegs. A full grown larva measures 16-18mm in length, on touch the
larva suddenly falls to ground and like a feign death.
L.P – 13-18 days
Pupa : Pupation in earthen cocoon in soil .
P.P – 10-15 days

20. Larvae feeds on leaves i.e early instar it nibbles the leaves as a result
there is slight curling .
Later instar they feed from margin inside to wards midrib and it fallsto
the ground and feigns death on slightest touch.
They devour the epidermis of the shoot, resulting in drying up of
seedlings and failure to bear seeds in older plants.
NATURE OF DAMAGE

21. MANAGEMENT
Summer ploughing to destroy the pupae.
Maintain clean cultivation.
Early sowing should be done.
Apply irrigation in seedling stage is very crucial for saw fly management,
because most of the larva die due to drowning effect ( sink in water).
Collection and destruction of larvae of saw fly in morning and evening
hours.
Use of bitter gourd seed oil emulsion as an antifeedant.
Spray the crop with malathion 50EC @ 1 lit. or quinalphos 25EC @ 625ml
in 500-600 lit. of water / ha once in October and again in March - April.

22. Mustard aphid : Lipaphis erysimi
( Aphididae : Hemiptera)

23. LIFE CYCLE
Insects breed pathenogenetically and female gives birth to
26 -133 nymphs they grow fast and full fed in 7-10 days
About 45 generations are completed in a year.

24. Aphids are small, soft bodied, pear shaped pale greenish insects,
abundant from December- March.
 The aphid attack generally during 2nd and 3rd week of Decemberand
continues till march.
The most favourable temp. – 8 to 240 C i.e Cloudy and cold weather.
RH – 70-80%
Rainy and humid weather helps in accelerating the growth ofinsects.

25. NATURE OF DAMAGE
 Both nymphs and adults suck the cell sap from leaves, stems,
buds and pods
 Curling may occur in infested leaves and get advanced stage plants
may wither and die
Vitality of plants is greatly reduced and remainstunted
 The flowers fail to form pods and developing pods do not
produce healthy seeds
Honey dew excreted as result development of sooty mouldand
come in the way of photosynthetic activity of the plant
The infected plants looks sickly and blighted in appearance

26. MANAGEMENT
Use mustard aphid tolerant varieties like JM-1 and RK-9501
Set up yellow sticky trap to monitor the aphid population
To conserve the following natural enemies
Lady bird beetles – Coccinella septumpunctata
Several species of Syrphids- Eristallis spp.
Metasyrphus spp.

27. Painted bug : Bagrada hilaris
( Pentatomidae : Hemiptera )

28. LIFE CYCLE
Egg: Painted bug lays its eggs in clusters on leaves or on the soil underneath
host plants. Eggs are barrel shaped, initially white and turn orange with age.
A single female can lay as many as 100 eggs within 2 to 3 weeks. The
incubation period is 5 to 8 days.
Nymph: Nymph pass through five stages changing colour from bright
orange to red with dark markings, gradually acquiring the colouration of
the adult. Initially they do not have wings; wings are gradually developed
as the nymphs grow. Wing pads are visible in the last instar nymph.
Adult: The adult bug is typically shield-shaped, 5 to 7 mm long and 3 to 4
mm broad at its widest area. The upper surface has a mixture of black, white
and orange markings, which gives the insect its common names harlequin
bug or painted bug. The life cycle lasts 3 to 4 weeks and several generations
may occur in a year. Period of activity of painted bug starts from September.

29. NATURE OF DAMAGE
The adults and the nymphs suck the sap from the plants as a
result young plants wilt and wither as a result of attack
Both quality and quantity of yield is affected when grown up
plants are severely affected
In certain years they appear in epidemic forms
The nymphs and adults also excrete a sort of resinous material
which spoils the pods

30. MANAGEMENT
Deep ploughing so that the eggs of painted bugs are destroy
Early sowing is needed to avoid pest attack
Irrigate the crop during four weeks after sowing to reduce pest attack
Quick threshing of the harvested crop should be done
 Burn the remains of mustard crop so that the stages of insect do not
reach the next year crop

31. INSECT PEST OF SESAME/linseed

32. Til leaf and pod catterpillar : Antigastra catalaunalis
(Pyralidae : Lepidoptera )
The sesamum leaf webber is a serious and regular pest of Sesamum and
is also distributed throughout India.
This species has been reported from Europe, Africa and Indonesia
The infestation starts from March and persists up to December
Moth is brown with yellowish brown wings

33. LIFE CYCLE
Eggs : A female moth lays, on an average of 86 eggs and each female
moth lays 100-120 eggs and laid on tender leaves or flowers.
I.P – 4-5 days
Larva : Grown up larva is greenish white with black warts and fine
hairs all over the body and black coloured head.
L.P – 11-16 days
Hibernates as caterpillar within the pods
Pupa : Pupates in silken cocoon under fallen leaves or soil crevices
P.P – 4-7 days

34. NATURE OF DAMAGE
The young larvae web together a few top leaves and feed on them.
In the early stage of infestation, the plant dies without producing
any branch or shoot.
In later stage of attack, infested shoots stop growing.
At flowering, larvae feed inside the flowers and on capsuleformation,
larvae bore into capsule and feed on developing seeds
Infested capsule

35. MANAGEMENT
Early sown (first week of July) kharif crop is less infestedthan
late sown crop.
Intercrop with mungbean, pearl millet and groundnut.
Two sprayings of quinalphos 0.05% at 30 and 45 days after sowing.
or
Two rounds of dusting with phosalone 4% or malathion 5% dust @
25 kg/ha at 30 and 45 days after sowing.

36. Sesame gall fly: Asphondylia sesami
(Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)
It occurs all over the india and causes severe damage in south india.
NATURE OF DAMAGE
The maggots feed on the buds which develop into galls and fruitsand
Seeds.
MANAGEMENT
Spray 2.5 kg of carbaryl 50 WP in 625 litre of water per ha.

37. LINSEED GALL FLY : Dasinura lini
(DIPTERA: CECIDOMYIIDAE)
IDENTIFICATION
Adult of linseed budfly is a small orange coloured fly.
Its tiny pinkish maggots feed on the developing buds.
NATURE OF DAMAGE
Maggots feed inside the floral bud.
Leading to formation of gall like structure which do not develop in to
flower/capsules.
The affected buds wither and drop.
MANAGEMENT
Two sprayings with neem formulation
0.03%

38. Leaf hopper : Orosius albicinctus
(Cicadellidae ; Hemiptera)
Adults are small, wedge shaped hoppers and pale green in colour
Nymphs are yellowish green in colour
Adults as well as nymphs will move diagonally

39. Nature of damage
 Both nymphs and adults suck the sap from the leaf resulting in
typical ‘hopper burn’
Initially marginal yellowing of leaves and
Later on distortion of veins and leaf curling is observed
 The yellow colour of the leaf will change to brown and the margins
of leaf become dry and brittle
 Due to hopper burn and stunting caused by heavy population as
a result in poor development of capsules

40. Bihar hairy caterpillar: Spilosoma obliqua
( Arctiidae : Lepidoptera )
Adult is a medium sized moth pale buff in colour with black spots
Body is crimson and black spotted

41. Eggs : are laid in groups of 40-60 on the under surface of the leaves
Each female lays 500 – 1300eggs
I.P – 3-4 days
Larva: the fully grown caterpillar is hairy and orange in colour with
two ends are black in colour
L.p – 14-20 Days
The cocoon and pupa
Pupa : pupation takes place in soil or dried leaves
P.P- 16-22 days
LIFE CYCLE

42. Early instars feed gregariously by scraping the green matter
as a result skeletonization.
The grown up instars feed on entire leaves causes defoliation.
NATURE OF DAMAGE

43. MANAGEMENT
-Collection and destruction of eggs and early stage larvae.
-Spray NSKE 5% to kill early stage larvae.
-If grownup larvae are seen, spray quinalphos, monocrotophos, or
chlorpyriphos @ 2ml/litre of water.

44. INSECT PEST OF SAFFLOWER

45. Safflower aphid : Dactynotus carthami
(Aphididae : Hemiptera )

46. NATURE OF DAMAGE
Aphid affected plant
Nymphs and adults are found in larger number and suck the sap from
leaves, shoots, flowers and capsules and affected plants remain
stunted.
 Honey dew excretion develops sooty mould so affectthe
photosynthetic activity of the plant.
About 40-50% yield losses are observed due to this insect.
Infestation may occur 30-45 days old crop.
Seed production is seriously afected

47. MANAGEMENT
Avoid late sowing.
If the attack is observed in the border rows take
control measures.
Avoid excess use of nitrogen.
Maintain 2 or 3 rows of Maize and Sorghum around the fields.
Release of Chrysoperla eggs/grubs @ 1-2/plant.
Spray the crop with dimethoate or monocrotophos or
oxydemeton methyl @ 1 ml / lit. ofwater.

48. Castor shoot and capsule borer : Dichocrocis punctiferalis
( Pyralidae : Lepidoptera )
It is a regular pest of castor
It attacks variety of host plants and causes different types of
damages when it attacks
Castor and cardamom – shoot and capsule borer
Sorghum – Ear head borer
Mango – Inflorescence caterpillar
Ginger – Rhizome borer
Guava, Peach, Jack, Tomato- Fruit borer
Similar to fruit sucking moth it has suctorial proboscis- piercingjuice

49. Adult is a small sized bright yellow / orange coloured mothwith
numerous black spots on both the pair of wings

50. LIFE CYCLE
Eggs : are laid in groups of up to 6 on inflorescence and capsules
as well as other tender parts of the plant
I.P – 3-6 days
Larva : there are 5 larval instars and measures about 2.5 to 3cm in
length, pinkish brown in colour with numerous tubercles on
the body L.P – 12-16 days
Pupa : pupation takes place in side the stem in silken cocoon or inside
the capsules.
P.P – 6-7 days
Adult longevity – 5-10 days
The pest appears from flowering stage up to maturitystage

51.  Newly hatched larva feeds on greenish coloured capsules in
between warts.
Later bores in to the capsules and feeds on developing seeds
It webs the capsules along with excreta and frass
Larva also bores into tender shoots and attached inflorescence
There by killing the terminal shoots.
NATURE OF DAMAGE

52. MANAGEMENT
 Avoid growing varieties which are having compact inflorescence
 Mechanical collection and destruction of attacked shoots and seed
capsule
Chemical control – Initiate chemical sprays at the time offlowering
primary spikes
Spray methyl parathion 50 EC @ 1ml/1lwater.

53. INSECT PEST OF SUNFLOWER

54. CAPITULUM HEAD BORER: Helicovera armigera
(LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE)

55. R ›aIceB Pup.a
Ffili to sixth inslar caterpillar
Math
” -
Third1o fourth ezstar T.” -
Egg ( Id sii tyon
tender pkvn tissue)
i-1
BoconJ atatar
catorpillm

56. Leaf feeding Larva feeding in see‹I Caterpillar bOFRIFłtD hea‹I

57. NATURE OF DAMAGE
The larva feeds on the developing seeds and bore the
head Fungal developed and head starts rotting.
The larva consumes leaf in early stage of growthand
move towards the capitulum and tunnel the head.

58. MANAGEMENT
-Grow inter crops like, green gram, black gram, groundnut,soybean
-Sow 3-4 lines of maize (or) jowar around the sunflower cropto
monitor the moth.
-Sow trap crops like marigold at 50 plants/acre.
-Use of pheromone traps (4 traps/acre) for pest intensity identification
as well as to trap the male moths.
-Setting of light traps (1 light trap/5 acre) to know the range ofpest
incidence as well as to kill moth population.
-Release predators like coccinellids, Chrysoperla carnea @1larva/ head
-Release parasitoides like Trichogrammaspp.@
20,000/acre, (Bracon spp., Campoletis spp)
-Spray HaNPV 250 LE + Bt @0.5kg/ha for effective control.
-Spray HaNPV 250 LE/ha +1 kg Jaggery + 200ml Sandovit (or) Teepal;
mixing and spray in the evening hours only.
-Spraying of 5% Neem oil or 5% Neem Seed Kernal extract before egg
laying.

59. INSECT PEST OF CASTOR

60. In India more than 107 species of insects and 6 species of mites are
recorded on Castor at different phenological stages of the crop.
Out of these major insect pests are
I.Borer pest of Castor
Castor shoot and capsule borer – Conogethes punctiferalis
II.Leaf feeders / Defoliators
1.Castor semilooper : Achaea janata
2.Tobacco caterpillar : Spodoptera litura
3.Red headed hairy caterpillar : Amsacta albistriga
4.Castor slug caterpillar : Latoia lepida
5.Castor wooly bear : pericallia ricini
6.6.Castor butter fly : Ergolis merione
7.American serpentine leaf miner : Liriomyza trifolii
III.Sucking pests
1.Leaf hopper : Empoasca flavescens
2.Thrips : Scirtothrips dorsalis
3.White fly : Trialeurodes ricini
III.Non insect pest
Red spider mite : Tetranychus telaerius

61. Castor semilooper : Achaeajanata
( Noctuidae : Lepidoptra )
Adult is a stout bodied, greyish-brown colored moth with
wavy lines on the fore wings
Hind wings are white with black patches or markings
Host plants : Castor, Rose, Pomegranate, Tea, Tridax
procumbens, Euphorbia hirta, E. hypercifolia
It is a specific pest of Castor

62. Eggs : Female moths lays 400-500 eggs scattered all overthe
ventral surface of the plant
I.P – 3-4 days
Larva : is a semilooper , body grey / black in colour with red or
white lateral stripes, fully-grown larva about 6-7cmlong
Larva will be camouflage with colour of the crop canopy. Colour
pattern of 3rd and 4th instar larva is variable. Some time if larva with
red stripes. It is semilooper i.e non functioning of first pair of prolegs
L.P – 20-25 days
Pupa : pupation takes place on the plant or in leaf litter or in soil
with the help of cocoon
P.P – 10-25 days

63. NATURE OF DAMAGE
First instars nibble on the leaves and second instars make
bite holes on the leaves
later instars will eat the leaf completely leavingbehind
mid rib.
Usually it won’t be attack stem.
Severe incidence – Capsule also affected
Adult moth – Suck the juice from Citrus fruits also
Serious – July - December
Damage will decline from
November on wards

64. MANAGEMENT
Hand picking of older larvae during early stages and destroy
Provide bird perching points @ 7 to 10 /ha
Biological control
A number of Hymenopteran parasites attack the pest during the
various stages of its life cycle
Trichogramma australicum – Egg parasite
Apanteles spp.
Microplitis maculopennis Larval parasites - @ 2 parasites / plantneed
not to take up chemical control
Chemical control : Spray methyl parathion 50 EC @ 1 ml / lit. ofwater