Polyphagous chewing pest , their life cycle, nature of damage and management

1. POLYPHAGOUS CHEWING PESTS
1. American bollworm
Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) Hardwick (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)
•Distributed in India and all over the world
Host plants:
•Polyphagous, multivoltine, persistence pest and it has more than
150 hosts.
•Cotton, gram, pigeon pea, pea, cowpea, Tomato, tobacco, potato,
chilli, okra, ground nut, wheat, maize, Jowar, bajra, cress etc.

2. Marks of Identification:
Adult:
- Kidney shaped black spot
- Moths are yellowish brown
with black dots on forewing.
- Greyish wavy line on front
wing.
- Blackish bands on hind wing.
Caterpillar:
- Shining greenish yellow and
round.
- Greenish with dark broken
black or ash coloured lines
along the side.
- More than 13 different
colours.
Pupa:
- Brown colour and pupation
in soil.

3. Eggs
Larva
Pupa
Adult
Larval
period is
about 13-
19 days.
Pupal period: 8-
15 days and
pupates in side
the soil.
Adult
period: 7-9
days.
Total life cycle:
35-40days with
8 generations
per year
Life cycle

4. Nature of damage:
 In early stage larvae feed on
leaves, flowers and buds,
 Second instar larva feeds on
pods, bolls, grains, fruits etc.
 During feeding larvae insert the
anterior half portion of their
body inside bud or boll and
make them hollow.
 Holes are bore at the base of
the buds, which are hollowed
out.
 While feeding anterior portion
of the body remains inside &
remaining half portion outside.
 Feeds on grains of heat, bajra,
jowar.
 Feeds on leaves of Groundnut &
Potato. Fruits, flowers & buds of
tomato, chilli, okra.

5. Control measures:
• Deep ploughing
• Timely sowing
• Use of resistant varieties
• Mixed & intercropping with non preferred
host plants like, barley, mustard
• Growing of African marigold in between &
around 5 lines of tomato.
• Light trap
• Pheromone traps
• NPV @ 450 PIB/ha or 250 LE
• NSKS 5%
• Trichogramma 1.5 lakh/ha of six releases
and Chrysoperla @ 10000/ha, 3 releases
synchronize with the appearance of the
pest.
• Spray of chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC (3 ml)
or quinalphos 25 EC (20 ml) or Indoxacarb
15.8 EC (5 ml) or spinosad 45 SC (3 ml) or
emamectin benzoate 1.9 EC (10 ml),
lufenuron 5.40 EC (11 ml) Novaluron 10 EC
(20 ml) or flubendiamide 480 SC (3 ml)
with 10 litre of water.
• Biotechnology approaches
Delta endotoxin

6. 2. Tobacco leaf eating caterpillar
Spodoptera litura Fabricius
(Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)
• It is widely distributed in tropical & sub-tropical
parts of the world.
• This is polyphagous, multivoltine sporadic pest.
• Host plants: Castor, Groundnut, Tomato, Cabbage,
Cauliflower, Potato, Sunflower etc.

7. Marks of Identification
Eggs: Slightly yellowish to
brown.
Larva: Young larva transparent
and light green. In advances
stages (instar) black patches
was observe on 1st and last
abdominal segment. Full
grown up larva is dirty brown,
5- orange lines, 2- on each
side and one in the middle of
the dorsal side.
Pupa: brown in colour and
pupation take place in the soil.
Adults: Forewings are gray to
reddish-brown, with a
complex pattern of creamy
streaks and paler lines along
the veins. Hind wings are
grayish-white with grayish-
brown margins.

8. Eggs
Larva
Pupa
Adult
Larval
period:
13-19
days
Pupal period:
6-10 days and
pupated in the
soil.
Adult
period: 8-
10 days
Life cycle

9. Nature of Damage:
• 1st instar larvae
feed gregariously
under surface of
leaf. Nibble the
hole and scrap up
lower epidermis.
• As the larvae grow,
feeds isolated and
defoliate the
plants.
• The whole nursery
of tobacco
whipped out under
severe infestation
of leaf eating
caterpillar.

10. Control measures:
 Deep ploughing in summer
 Collection and destructions of egg mass and larvae.
 Trap crop – Castor
 Light trap
 Pheromone trap
 SNPV @ 250-450 LE/ha
 Bt @ 1.5kg/ha (Cutlass, Biolap, Biolap)
 Natural enemies: Campoletis spp, Reduviid bug, Geocoris
bug, Trichogramma, Chrysoperla carne, tobacco bugs,
spiders
 Botanicals: NSKS 5%
 Insecticides: Quinalphos 25 EC (20 ml/10 L water)
Thiaomethoxam 75 SG (5 g/10 L water)
Indoxacarb 15.5 EC (10 ml/ 10 L water)
Novaluron 10 EC (10 ml/10 L water)
Fenpropathrin 10 EC (6 ml/10 L water)
Flubendiamide 20 WG ( 3 g/10 L water)

11. 3. Gujarat Hairy Caterpillar (Katra)
Amsacta moorei Butler (Arctiidae: Lepidoptera)
• This pest is widely distributed all over the world.
The activity of this pest is very high in sandy loam
soil.
• Host plant: Bajra, Maize, Jowar, Cotton, Tobacco,
Pulses, Oil seeds, Vegetables etc.

12. Marks of Identification:
• Eggs: Greenish-spherical
• Larva: Reddish amber to
olive green-long hairs. Full
grown caterpillar 5 cm long,
thick tuft of brownish hairs
• Moth: Fore wing white + red
anterior marginal streak,
abdomen is red coloured
with black strips and dots.

13. Eggs
Larva
Pupa
Adult
3-5 days
Larval period:
15-25 days
Life cycle

14. Nature of damage:
 Moths emerge out from hibernating pupa from soil during first
heavy monsoon rain.
 Freshly emerged out larvae feed on weed plants of the hedges
and migrate on the main crop and defoliate them.
 The infestation increase so high on the if dry spell of the rain.
 The population is generally high in the field in which green
manure is being carried out (sunnhemp is most preferred host).
 Later instar larvae do more damage in the field. Full grown
Katra migrate back to hedges & descend in to soil for pupation
from August to next monsoon.

15. Control measures:
 Deep ploughing in summer and scrap the hedges during summer
to destroy the hibernating stage (pupa).
 Install the light trap (UV trap) and operate during night hours at 8-
12 1 trap/ha after receiving good rain
 Collection and destructions of egg masses and gregarious feeder
larvae.
 Spray botanicals- 5% NSKS- as antifeedent
 Spray chrolpyriphos 20 EC (20 ml) or deltamethrin 2.8 EC (5 ml) or
chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC (3 ml) or quinalphos 25 EC (20 ml) or
Indoxacarb 15.8 EC (5 ml) or emamectin benzoate 5 SC (5 g) or
flubendiamid 480 SC (3 ml) or thiodicarb 75 WP (20 g)with 10 litre
of water.
 Apply quinalphos dust 1.5% dust on the hedges and boarder rows
of the crop.
 Telonomus remus is the dominant egg parasitoid of this pest

16. 4. LOCUSTS
(ACRIDIIDAE: ORTHOPTERA)
1. Desert locust: Schistocera
gregaria F.
2. Migratory locust: Locusta
migratoria L
3. Bombay locust: Patanga
succincta L

17. Locust: Term applied to grasshopper species which
multiplies in large numbers under favourable
conditions, forms swarms & migrates in millions
from country to country or place to place. Such
swarms on their way settle on green vegetation &
destroy them in short time.
Host plants: Highly adaptable. Grasses, maize, millet,
sorghum, sugarcane, wheat, rice etc.

18. Three species India:
1. Desert locust: Most destructive species. The swarms
that form due to breeding in West Iran & Eastern
Arabia during winter-spring migrate during May-July
to Indo-Pakistan region.
2. Bombay locust: Found in India, Sri Lanka and
Malaysia
3. Migratory locust: Breeds during the spring in
Baluchistan & the adults migrate to desert areas of
India & breed there during the summer.

19. Marks of Identification:
• Young wingless hoppers are in
solitary phase, Greenish with
traces of black markings.
• Swarming phase is blackish brown
with a pale median line on the
head & body. Freshly developed
winged locusts are in swarming
phase. They are pinkish with
elongated leathery wings
brownish towards the maturation
and finally tern into bright yellow
at sexually stage.
• Adult of solitary phase remains
grey throughout their life.

20. Eggs
Nymph
Adult
Nymphal period:
4-6 weeks
Adult
period: 4-6
weeks
Life cycle

21. Nature of Damage:
• Nymphs and adults do defoliation through nibbling and may
cause lodging in seedlings & plants.
• Plants are often eaten down to mid rib.
• Severe damage to young plants, reduce size of the crop rather
than die.
• Adult fly as swarm & migrate over long distances, settle on
green vegetation on their way & destroy the standing crop of a
large area.
• By reorganization of specific noise, migration can be noticed.

22. Locusts can display the following behaviour:
• Hopper bands form 2 to 3 weeks after hatching, mainly
along fence lines, road verges, scrub lines, pasture
paddocks and, in some instances, crops.
• Hopper bands are likely to move into crops from
around the edges.
• Late instar hoppers can move up to 400 meters in a
day.
• Adults are active during warm semi-calm (some breeze)
conditions, and settle in cold or windy conditions.
• Adults feed actively on green or partially green crop
which can cause significant economic damage.
• Mature crops are less attractive to adult locusts unless
green weed growth is present.
• Adults usually settle at night and do not feed.

23. The decision on how locusts in crops are best managed
is affected by a range of factors:
• Growth stage of the crop (i.e. whether any green plant
material remains or whether the crop has completely
dried off).
• Ability to harvest early.
• Risk to market from pesticide residues.
• Ability to clean physical locust contamination from
harvested grain.
• Hoppers are most likely to hatch in pasture paddocks
and along roadsides, fence-lines and the non-
cultivated ground around the crop perimeter, but
some hoppers may hatch from egg beds laid within
crops.

24. Monitoring:
• As hopper bands form, land-owners should
regularly monitor pasture paddocks and crops.
• Monitoring should include crop edges, fence lines
and roads, where bands are likely to first occur.
• Susceptible crops should be monitored when adults
first appear.
• Adult densities as low as four per square meter
may cause economic damage

25. Control Measures:
• Locust should be controlled at all its life cycle stages i.e.
eggs, nymphs and adults.
• Destroy the eggs from where it is laid in to the field by
ploughing, harrowing and digging.
• At hopper stage: Apply quinalphos 1.5% dust
• Adults move quickly over extensive areas as swarm and
difficult to control.
• When swarms settle on vegetation or ground, collect and
beaten to death OR burn with flame throwers.
• Spray application of NSKS 5% (500 g) or neem base
insecticide 5 EC 10 ml in 10 liter water
• Apply quinalphos 1.5 % dust 25 kg/ha or malathion 5 %
dust.
• Spray of malathion 96 % ULV with help of Alva master at
morning time
• Kites and Crows are predator of hopper and adults.
• A permanent locust warning organization is functioning
since 1939 under the control of the Plant Protection
Advisor to the Government of India, New Delhi.

26. 5. WHITE GRUB
Holotrichia consanguinea Blanch (Scarabaeidae:
Coleoptera)
• Host plants: It preferably attacks bajra,
groundnut, sorghum, sugarcane, grasses,
black gram, soybean etc.

27. Marks of Identification:
• Adult is a medium sized
chafer beetle brownish in
colour and 35 mm long.
• The larvae are dull brown
in colour and 'C' shaped
having brownish head
and legs.

28. • Life Cycle: On the first heavy monsoon
rain, beetles emerged out from the soil
and they congregate on host trees like
neem, ber, babul, khejri etc. and feed on
tender foliage and copulate there.
• In the early morning, the female return
to nearby field and lays whitish pearly
eggs scattered in moist soil at depth of
10-15 cm. about 60-70 eggs.
• Egg period: 10 days
• Larval period: 1st 15 days, 2nd instar 30
days, 3rd instar 30 days
• Pupal period: Pupate as earthen cocoon
at a depth of 30 - 60 cm and the pupal
period is about 12-15 days.
• Adult period: Adults hibernate in the
soil up to the next monsoon (November
to mid June).

29. Eggs
Larva
Pupa
Adult
10 days
Larval period: 1st
15 days, 2nd instar
30 days, 3rd instar
30 days
Life cycle

30. Nature of damage:
• The emerging grubs feed
on organic matter initially
and then start feeding on
roots.
• As a result, the attacked
plants wither soon.
• It moves to nearby plant
and feed on its roots.
• Due to heavy incidence,
complete loss of crop may
be observed.

31. Control measures:
 Collection and destruction of adult on cooperative basis
 Shaking of hosts plant
 Smoking host trees by burning straw to dislodge &
collect the beetles
 Use of light trap
 Cultural control:
 Branches of host plants are transplanted in endemic
area to attract adult beetles which are collected and
destroyed.
 Ratooning of sugarcane should be avoided
 Crop rotation : Sugarcane – Paddy
 Deep ploughing in summer to destroying adult and grubs
 Mechanical collection of beetles from host trees (Neem,
Babul, Ber, Drum stick, Khijdio).

32.  Apply quinalphos 25 EC @ 20 ml or chlorpyriphos 20
EC @ 20 ml on host trees.
 Seed treatment to the groundnut seeds with
quinalphos 25 EC or chlorpyriphos 20 EC @ 25
ml/kg; soybean seeds with imidacloprid 70%WS @ 5
g/kg
 Microbial insecticide- Bacillus popillae var holotrich
Metarrhizium anisopliae.
 Use of aggregation pheromone i.e. methoxybenzene
 Application of castor cake@ 500kg/ha
 Give quinalphos 25 EC or chlorpyriphos 20 EC @ 4
liter/ ha with irrigation water.

33. 6. American Serpentine Leaf miner
Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess)
Agromyzidae: Diptera
Host plants:
• Castor
• Tomato
• Cucurbitaceous crops
• Melon
• Marigold

34. Marks of identification:
Egg: Translucent- Not
visible
Male: Orange yellow
Female: 1.5-2 mm long
Greyish black, Red eyes
Pupa: Brown coloured-in
soil- 5-10 cm

35. Life cycle:
Site of oviposition: Female lays eggs
individually in leaf tissue (200-700 eggs
/female).
Egg period: 2-5 days; larvae feeds on
mesophyll tissues.
Larval period: 3 instars, full grown larva
comes out from the mines and drop down
on soil. Larval period is about 3-6 days
Pupal period: 6-10 days
Total life cycle: 15-20 days

36. Nature of damage:
• Leaf miner feeds on the tissue
between the upper and lower
epidermal layers of leaves.
• Leaf miners become a serious
problem on vegetables that are
harvested for their foliage.
• Larva feeds on mesophyll tissues
between two layers of leaf leaving
behind a papery thin layer.
• Larvae create a characteristic
serpentine mine. Initially narrow,
broader towards the end, mines
are whitest when seen from upper
surface.

37. Control measures:
• Collection & destruction of infested leaves.
• Cover the soil with mulching to avoid pupation.
• Field should be kept weed free.
• Proper organic fertilizers and irrigation to
maintain plant health.
• Installed yellow sticky trap.
• NSKS 3-5% @ 10 days interval as ovipositional
deterrent.
• Spray spinosad 45 SC 3 ml or cyantraniliprole
10 OD 20 ml or chlorantraniliprole 8.8 +
thaimethoxam 17.5 SC 10 ml into 10 liter water

38. Termite/ White ant
•Odontotermis obesus Ramb.,
•Microtermes obesi Holm.
(Temitidae: Isoptera)
•Termite is a social insect and
lives in colony known as
‘termeteria’.

40. There are two forms:
1. Sexual form: Reproductive caste:
a. Prince (King- Nuptial king)
b. Princes (flight Queen)
In sexual forms, winged appears on
onset of monsoon and mates in
air or ground (flying mating) and
than wing shaded off and enter in
to the soil to start the new colony.
2. Sterile form (Working caste):
a. Workers: Economic importance
caste and cause economic damage
to crops, furniture, fixtures, trees
etc.
b. Soldier: (Mandibulate and
Nasuti type)

41. Queen:
 Only the caste which perfectly
developed.
 Develop from colonizing
individuals (winged form
appearing in monsoon) or
wingless form (complementary
caste- short winged/ wingless
form).
 Largest size in colony, live 5-10
years, only one queen in a
colony
 Live in” Royal Chamber” in the
centre of the nest.
 Egg laying like machine

42. King:
Develop unfertilized
eggs.
Become fully develop
by superior diet.
Accompany queen in
“Royal chamber”
Much smaller than
queen
Life much shorter
than queen

43. Workers:
Develop from fertilized
eggs
Most abundant in colony
Well develops mandibles
Cut and chew food and
wood.
Do all duties except
reproduction and
protection.

44. Soldiers:
 Develop from unfertilized eggs.
 Recognised by large head & strong sickle shaped
mandibles
 Remain un-develop
Two types:
1. Nasute: A median frontal rostrum and small
jaws.
2. Mandibulate: Large and powerful mandibles.
 Additional forms:
(a) Colonizing individuals:
• Winged both sexes.
• Large number during rainy monsoon.
• Emerge from colony when temp. & moisture is
optimum.
(b) Complementary caste:
• Short winged /wingless of both sexes.
• Live subterranean.
• When queen/king die un-timely, they develop
sexually.

45. Life cycle:
In the rainy season, colonizing form emerge from
colony- both sexes
Attracted to light- Shed wing before/after mating.
The royal pair excavate small amount of soil &
make a burrow/chamber/galleries.
Eggs laid by queen. Egg period- 7 days.
First batch looked after by them.
Newly hatched nymphs fed by royal pair.
Queen develop gradually (1-2 two years), large
numbers of eggs are laid.
From the nymphs: king, soldier, worker (lives for 6
months)

47. Damage:
• Food: cellulose form woody materials
(dead vegetation and live vegetation)
• ‘Helophobic’ remains underground.
• Feed on root & move upwards
• Trunks hollowed
• Mud galleries on tree trunks
• Serious damage in nursery, grafts etc.
• Young plant dry away

48. Control measures:
• Deep ploughing around trees to destroy nest of termite.
• Soil treatment with quinalphos 1.5 DP
• Remove mud galleries and apply dust.
• New plantation: pits treated with 0.2% chlorpyriphos 20 EC
or fipronil 70 WS
• Seed treatment: wheat: fipronil 5 SC @ 500 ml + 5 litres of
water + 100 kg seed or chlorpyriphos 20 EC, 400 ml + 5 litres
of water + 100 kg seed – next day sowing.
• In standing crop give, chlorpyriphos 20 EC 3 lit./ha with
irrigation water Or mix with 100 kg sand and broad cast/ ha
and then give light Irrigation.
• Through irrigation (Chemigation: in wheat crop, pour 20-30
litres of to kill queen in termeteria.
• Spraying chlorpyriphos 20 EC 0.05% on bunds.
• Use of Calotropis procera leaves and seed kernels of
Azadirachta indica.