Groundnut or peanut crops can be damaged by several insect pests. The document discusses and provides identification details for 14 major insect pests that affect peanut crops in Pakistan. These include red hairy caterpillars, groundnut leaf miner, hairy caterpillar, gram pod borer, tobacco caterpillar, groundnut bud borer, aphids, jassids, thrips, jewel beetle, termites, white grubs, pod borer, and pod bug. For each pest, the document describes symptoms of damage to the crop and identifies characteristics of the pest's eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult stages.

2. PEANUT CROP INSECTS
A PRESENTATION TO IPM
COURSE/FFS PARTICIPANTS
BY
MR. ALLAH DAD KHAN
PROVINCIAL COORDINATOR IPM
KPK FOR MINFAL PAKISTAN

3. GROUNDNUTSCIENTIF
IC NAME: ARACHIS
HYPOGEAFAMILY:
FABACEAE

4. Red Hairy caterpillars: Amsacta albistriga, A.
moorei
 Caterpillars cause
defoliation of the
crop- all the leaves
eaten away leaving
the main stem alone
Symptoms of damage: Larva Feeding

5. Red Hairy caterpillars: Amsacta albistriga, A.
moorei
 Larvae: Hairy caterpillar
reddish brown with black
band on either end having
long reddish brown hairs
all over the body.
 Adult: Moth with white
wings. Forewings are white
with brownish streak all
over and yellowish streak
along the anterior margin
and head. Hind wings are
white with black marking
Identification of the pest:

6. Groundnut leaf miner: Aproaerema modicella

 Young larvae initially mine
into the leaflets, feed on
the mesophyll and form
small brown blotches on
the leaf
 Later stages larvae web
the leaflets together and
feed on them, remaining
within the folds
 Severely attacked field
looks "burnt" from a
distance
Symptoms of damage:

7. Groundnut leaf miner: Aproaerema modicella
 Eggs: Shiny white and are
laid singly on the
underside of the leaflets.
 Larvae: Green in colour
with dark head and
prothroax
 Adult: Brownish grey
moth, 6 mm long with 10
mm wing span. Forewings
with white spot on the
costal margin
Identification of the pest:

8. hairy caterpillar: Spilosoma (Diacrisia) obliqua
 Young larvae feed
gregariously mostly
on the under surface
of the leaves
 Feed on leaves and
causes defoliation
 In severe cases only
stems are left
behind
Symptoms of damage:

9. hairy caterpillar: Spilosoma (Diacrisia) obliqua
 Eggs: Laid in clusters of 50-100
on the lower side of leaves
 Larva: Orange coloured with
broad transverse band with tufts
of yellow hairs that are dark at
both ends
 Pupa: Forms a thin silken
cocoon by interwoven shed hairs
of the larvae
 Adult: Crimson coloured moth
with black dots and a red
abdomen. Pinkish wings with
numerous black spots

Identification of the pest:

10. Gram pod borer: Helicoverpa armigera
Larvae feed on the
foliage, prefers
flowers and buds
 When tender leaf
buds are eaten
symmetrical holes or
cuttings can be seen
upon unfolding of
leaflets
Symptoms of damage:

11. Gram pod borer: Helicoverpa armigera
 Eggs: Spherical in shape and
creamy white in colour, present singly
 Larva: Shows colour variation from
greenish to brown. It has dark brown
grey lines on the body with lateral
white lines and also has dark and
pale bands.
 Pupa: Brown in colour, occurs in soil,
leaf, pod and crop debris
 Adult: Light pale brownish yellow
stout moth. Forewings are olive
green to pale brown with a dark
brown circular spot in the centre.
Hind wings are pale smoky white with
a broad blackish outer margin.
Identification of the pest:

12. Tobacco caterpillar: Spodoptera litura
 Freshly hatched
larvae feed
gregariously, scraping
the chlorophyll, soon
disperse
 Sometimes the
feeding is so heavy
that only petioles and
branches are left
behind
Symptoms of damage:

13. Tobacco caterpillar: Spodoptera litura
 Egg: Egg masses appear
golden brown
 Larva: Pale greenish with
dark marking. Gregarious
in the early stages
 Adult: Forewings are
brown colour with wavy
white marking, Hind wings
are white colour with a
brown patch along the
margin

Identification of the pest:

14. Groundnut bud borer: Anarsia ephippias

 The larva bores into the
terminal buds and shoots
and tip of the stem
 The tender leaflets
emerging from central
spindle will show shot-hole
symptoms initially
 In severe infestation
emerging leaflets will have
only the midribs or several
oblong feeding holes
Symptoms of damage:

15. Groundnut bud borer: Anarsia ephippias
 Larvae: Chocolate
brown in color and
10-15 mm long
Identification of the pest:

16. Aphids: Aphis craccivora

Symptoms of damage:
 Wilting of tender shoots
during hot weather
 Stunting and distortion of the
foliage and stems
 They excrete honeydew on
which sooty molds flow
forming a black coating
 Act as vector for peanut stripe
virus and groundnut rosette
virus complex

17. Aphids: Aphis craccivora
 Nymphs and
Adult: Reddish to
dark brown coloured
with cornicles in the
abdomen
Identification of the pest:

18. Jassids: Empoasca kerri
 Nymphs and adults
inject toxins resulting in
whitening of veins and
chlorotic patches
especially at the tips of
leaflets, in a typical 'V'
shape.
 Heavily attacked crop
looks yellow and gives
a scorched appearance
known as 'hopper burn'.
Symptoms of damage:

19.  Adult: Elongate,
active, wedge
shape, green
insects
Identification of the pest
Jassids: Empoasca kerri

20. Thrips: Scirtothrips dorsalis

 Tender leaves showing
yellowish green
patches on the upper
surface and brown
necrotic areas and
silvery sheen on the
lower surface
 Severe infestations
cause stunted plants
Symptoms of damage:

21. Thrips: Scirtothrips dorsalis
 Nymphs: Yellowish
 Adults: Dark
coloured with
fringed wings
Identification of the pest:

22. Jewel beetle: Sphenoptera indica

of plants in patches
 The grub burrows into
the stem close to the
soil surface and kills the
plant
 Infested fields show
dead and dying plants,
which when pulled up
and examined
grub/pupa can be seen
in hollowed stem
Symptoms of damage:Wilting

23. Jewel beetle: Sphenoptera indica
 Slow movers having
globular head and
elongated, dorso-
ventrally flattened
body
 Adult: Shiny
beetle, 10 mm long
and 3 mm wide
Identification of pest:
Larvae:

24. Termites: Odontotermes spp

 Wilting of plants in patches
 Termites penetrate and hollow
out the tap root and stem thus kill
the plant.
 Bore holes into pods and
damage the seed.
 It removes the soft corky tissue
from between the veins of pods
causing scarification, weaken the
shells, make them liable to entry
and growth of Aspergillus
flavus that produces aflotoxins
Symptoms of damage:

25. Termites: Odontotermes spp
 The termites are
endemic in red and
sandy soils.
 These are social
insects, live in
termataria, in distinct
castes, workers, king
and queen.
 Workers' are small (4
mm) and have a soft,
white body and a brown
head
Identification of the pest:

26. White grubs : Holotrichia consanguinea,
Holotrichia serrata

grubs feed roots and
damage pods.
 Grubs feed on fine
rootlets, resulting in
pale wilted plants,
dying in patches.
Symptoms of damage:The

27. White grubs : Holotrichia consanguinea,
Holotrichia serrata
 Eggs: White, almost
round.
 Larvae: Young grubs
are translucent, whitish
yellow in colour ,
fleshy ‘C’ – shaped
 Adults: Dark brown
beetle. Beetles emerge
out of the soil within 3-4
days after the onset of
rain
Identification of the pest:

28. Pod borer: Anisolabis stalli
 Young pods
showing bore holes
plugged with excreta
 Sand particles or
discoloured pulps
 Pods without kernal.
Symptoms of damage:

29. Pod borer: Anisolabis stalli
 Nymph: White in
early stages and
later turns brown
 Adult: Dark brown
to black with forceps
like caudal cerci and
white leg joints
Identification of the pest:

30. Pod bug: Elasmolomus - Aphanus sordidus
 Freshly harvested
pods having
shriveled kernels
Symptoms of damage

31. Pod bug: Elasmolomus - Aphanus sordidus
 Nymph: Pinkish
 Adult: Dark brown
bugs
Identification of the pest: