This document provides information on several major insect pests that affect safflower, sesame, and mustard crops in India. For safflower, it describes the safflower caterpillar, safflower aphid, safflower bud fly, Helicoverpa armigera, and Spodoptera litura pests. For sesame, it covers the leaf webber, sesame leaf eating caterpillar, gingelly gall fly, and other minor pests. For mustard, it discusses the mustard sawfly, mustard aphid, painted bug, and cabbage butterfly. It provides details on the life cycles and descriptions of each pest, as well as their damage symptoms and management practices.

1. Insect pests of Safflower
 Safflower is one of the most important rainfed and draught tolerant
oil seed crops of India.
 Safflower is mainly grown for its edible oil in the semi arid tropics of
India.
 Karnataka is the second largest safflower growing state in India.
 Safflower is attacked by 36 species of pests in India

2. Safflower caterpillar : Prospalta capensis
(Noctuidae : Lepidoptera )
Adult is a medium sized moth with 2.5cm in length , dark brown
in colour
Fore wings with white wavy markings with light colour hind wings

3. Eggs : are laid singly or in small clusters on under surface
of leaf and stem
I.P – 3-4 days
Larva : stout, green and smooth, anal segment is humped and the
body has some purple markings
L.P – 14-15 days
Pupa – Pupation takes place in soil
P.P – 8-9 days
Nature of damage
 The larva feeds on the leaves and sometimes feeds on capitulum .
 It also feeds on bracts, flowers, capsules
 Enormous yield losses of 62.6 to 100% have been encountered
due to excessive foliage feeding by a large number of larvae.

4. Larva defoliate the plant as a result of this
plant loose their vigour and stunted
Management practices
 To encourage natural enemies – larval parasites such as
Apanteles flavipes
Chelonus blackburni
Rogas percurrens
 Intercropping with non-host crop like wheat.
 Excessive application of nitrogen should be avoided.
 Spraying of carbaryl 50 WP@ 2.5 - 3.00 kg/ha or fenvalerate 20 EC
@ 250 ml/ha.

5. Safflower aphid : Dactynotus carthami
(Aphididae : Hemiptera )
Adults are small black coloured aphids with cornicles on the abdomen

6. Nature of damage
 Nymphs and adults are found in larger and suck the sap from leaves,
shoots and capsules and affected plants remain stunted.
 Honey dew excretion develops sooty mould so affect the
photosynthetic activity of the plant.
 About 40-50% yield losses are observed due to this insect.
 Infestation may occur 30-45 days old crop.
Aphid affected plant

7. Management practices
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. of water

8. Safflower bud fly: Acanthiophilus helianthi
( Tephritidae : Diptera )
Adult flies are ash coloured with light brown legs.
Eggs : the female lay eggs in clusters of 6-24 with in the
flower buds or the flowers
I.P – 1-2 days
Maggot : is dirty white in colour
L.P – 1 week
Pupa – Pupation takes place in side the buds
P.P – 6-7 days
Nature of damage
 Newly hatched larvae feed on the soft parts of the capsules
 Affected buds show small bored holes
The infested buds rotten with a foul smelling ooze coming out
of the buds

9. Management practices
Application of dimethoate 30 EC @ 600-650 ml/ha
or
malathion 50 EC @ 1.00 litre/ha
or
phosphomidon 100 EC@ 150-200 ml/ha.
About 600 to 650 litre of water is needed for spraying in about
one hectare area.

10. Helicoverpa armigera Spodoptera litura
Adult moth
Adult moth
Larva
Larva
Caterpillar feed on leaves and
also feed flower florets, bracts
and bores in to the capsules
and feed on the seed. Caterpillar feed on the leaves
and thus defoliate the plant.

11. Management practices
Intercropping with non host crop like wheat or barley.
Avoid chickpea as intercrop.
Excessive application of nitrogen should be avoided.
Ha NPV can be applied at 250-300 larval equivalents/ha.
Conserve Campoletis chloridae, Enicospilus sp, etc.
Spray monochrotophos 750 ml/ha in 600-800 litres of water
per hectare.

12. Insect pests of Sesamum
 Sesamum (Sesamum indicumL.)is an important oilseed crop in tropics and
subtropics. However, 99% of its production area is located in developing countries
 Sesame is attacked by numerous pests and diseases that reduce its yield and
lower the quality of the seed. Thirty eight insect pest species have been found
to infest sesame, Of which important ones are

13. Leaf webber : Antigastra catalaunalis
(Pyralidae : Lepidoptera )
Adults are small pale brownish moth with yellowish brown elongate wings
and dark brown markings on the wing tips
The sesamum leaf webber is a serious and regular pest of Sesamum and is also
distributed throughout India
The infestation starts from March and persists up to December

14. Life cycle of the pest
Eggs : A female moth lays, on an average of 86 eggs and each female
moth lays 100-120 eggs and lays 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

15. Nature of damage
The young larvae roll 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 capsule formation, larvae
bore into capsule and feed on developing seeds
Infested capsule

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

17. Sesamum leaf eating caterpillar : Acherontia styx
(Sphingidae : Lepidoptera)
Adult is a giant dark- yellowish hawk moth with skull like marking on the
thorax with violet and yellow band on the abdomen

18. Eggs : are laid singly on leaves
I.P -2-5 days
Caterpillar : stout green yellowish oblique stripes with prominent
cured horn on the abdomen
L.P – 2 months
Pupa : Pupation takes place in earthen cocoon
in the soil
P.P – 2-3 weeks

19. Larva feed on the leaves and defoliate the plant
Management practices
 Deep ploughing exposes the pupae for predation to insectivorous birds.
 Hand picking collection and destruction of caterpillars.
 Two rounds of dusting with phosalone 4% or malathion 5%, first at 30
DAS and second at 45 DAS.

20. Other minor pests
1. Nezara viridula
2. Dolycoris indicus
Both nymphs and adults suck the sap from tender leaves and pods

21. 3. Leaf hopper : Orosius albicinctus
(Cicadellidae : Hemiptera )
Adults are light brown coloured hopper

22. Sesamum phyllody disease
Damage
The curling of leaf edges and leaves
turn red or brown.
The leaves eventually dry up and shed.
Also insect is vector of
sesamum phyllody.

23. Management practices
 Remove and destroy infected plants.
 Seed treatment with imidacloprid or carbosulfan or spraying of
monocrotophos protects the crop from all sucking pests including
jassids for about a month.
Spray Monocrotophos 36WSC or dimethoate 30 EC@ 500 ml/ha combined
with Intercropping of sesame + redgram

24. Gingelly gall fly: Asphondylia sesami
( Cecidomyiidae : Diptera )
 It is a common pest of sesamum in South India and is also distributed in Indonesia,
Srilanka, The Philippines and Myanmar
 In India, it has been recorded in TN, AP, Kerala, MP, Gujarat, Maharashtra and
Rajsthan
Adult : is a small mosquito like fly with bright coloured wings and long legs and
moniliform antennae
Eggs : are insert in to ovaries of flower buds, flowers and capsules
I.P – 2-4 days
Larva : A small white maggots, found inside the flowers and bores into the ovaries
of flower buds and feed on ovary as a result of this flowers turned malformed
Infested flower buds

25. 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.
Galls, shrivel and fall off.
L.P – 2-5 days
Pupa : Pupation occurs inside the galls
P.P – 2-3 weeks
Total life cycle – 23-37 days

26. Management practices
 Intercrop with mungbean, pearl millet and groundnut.
 Clip the galls, pick and burn the shed buds.
 Conserve larval parasitoids of gall fly like Eurytoma dentipectus,
Bracon hebetor etc.,
 Spray crop at bud initiation stage with carbaryl 50 WP at the rate of 2.5 kg or
dimethoate 0.03%.

27. 4. Hairy caterpillars or Arctiids : Spilarctia obliqua
Amsacta albistriga
Pericallia ricini
5. Noctuids : Spodoptera litura
Helicoverpa armigera
Plusia signata
Caterpillars of these pests feeds on the leaves and defoliate the plants

28. Insect pests of Mustard

29.  Mustard (Brassica juncea), is the major edible oilseed crop in India, is extensively
grown traditionally as a pure crop as well as intercrop (or mixed crop)
in marginal and sub - marginal soils in the eastern, northern and north western
states of India.
 Cool moist climate of winter months is the major factor for the luxuriant growth
and productivity of mustard in these states
 The several insect pests are reported on Mustard crop. Some important ones are
Mustard aphid (Lipaphis erysimi) is the key pest and
four others pests viz,
Sawfly (Athalia lugens proxima),
Painted bug (Bagrada hilaris),
Cabbage butterfly (Pieris brassicae) and
Bihar hairy caterpillar (Spilosoma obliqua) are assumed to be of regional and
sporadic importance

30. Mustard sawfly : Athalia lugens proxima
(Tenthredinidae : Hymenoptera)
 Adult fly measures 8-11 mm in length and black yellowish especially femora
and thorax
 Female with saw like ovipositor and abdomen is orange colour
 Wings are translucent, Smokey with black veins
It is a cold weather pest of mustard

31. Host plants : Mostly attack Crucifers especially radish is the most preferred host
Eggs : Eggs are insert singly, in slits made with saw like ovipositor along the sides
of the leaf margins
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

32.  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 falls to 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

33. Management practices
 Summer ploughing to destroy the pupae
 To 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)
Severe cold also reduces the pest load
 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

34. Mustard aphid : Lipaphis erysimi
( Aphididae : Hemiptera)
Aphids are small, soft bodied, pear shaped pale greenish insects,
abundant from December- March
Favourable conditions for pest build up
 The aphid attack generally during 2nd and 3rd week of December and
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 of insects

35. 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 remain stunted
 The flowers fail to form pods and developing pods do not
produce healthy seeds
 Honey dew excreted as result development of sooty mould and come
in way of photosynthetic activity of the plant
 The infected plants looks sickly and blighted in appearance

36. Management practices
The crop sown before 20th of October escape from the damage
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
Menochilus sexmaculata
Hippodamia variegata
Cheilomenes vicina
Are the most efficient predators of the mustard aphid
Adult beetle may feed on average of 10-15 adults per day.
Several species of Syrphids- Eristallis spp.
Metasyrphus spp.
Xanthogramma spp.
Syrphus spp.
are predating on aphids

37. The braconid parasitoid, Diaretiella rapae are very active biocontrol
agent cause the mummification of aphids
The green lace wing , Chrysoperla zastrowii predators on the mustard
aphid colony
 A number of entomophagus fungi :
Cephalosporium aphidicola
Entomophthora coronata infesting the aphids
Verticillium lecanii
Spray the crop with any one of the following Insecticides at
flowering stage
Oxydemeton methyl 25 EC
or
dimethoate 30EC
or
Malathion 50EC @ 625-1000 ml / ha

38. Painted bug : Bagrada cruciferarum
( Pentatomidae : Hemiptera )
 Adult is a black coloured bug with yellow and orange markings on the body
 The adult first appears in the field in October months and activity slows
down by march to become active and again in the kharif

39. Nature of damage
 The adults and the nymphs suck the sap from the plants as a
result young plants wilt and withers
 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

40. Management practices
 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
 The bugs usually congregate on the leaves and stem which can be
jerked to dislodged them and killed in kerosinized water
 Spray the crop with malathion 50EC@ 1 lit. or dimethoate 30 EC @
625ml in 600-700 lit. of water

41. Green peach aphid : Myzus pesicae
Aphididae : Hemiptera
The aphids are minute, delicate, pear shaped , yellowish green
winged or wingless insects
Nature of damage
 Both nymphs and adults damage the plants by actively sucking
the sap after the appearance of inflorescence
 The aphid congregate on terminal buds and feeds there. As a result,
there is flower shedding, poor pod formation and shriveling of grains
 The pest also transmits viral diseases
 The honey dew attracts sooty mould
Management practices
 Sow the crop in first week of October
 Spray the crop with dimethoate 30EC @ 500ml or oxydemeton methyl
25EC @ 625ml in 750 lit. of water / ha when aphids start congregating
on top of flowering buds

42. Defoliators
1. Plutella xylostella
2. Hellula undalis
3. Crocidolomia binotalis
4. Spiloarctia obliqua
Diamond back moth – Plutella xylostella ( Plutellidae : Lepidoptera)
Young larvae scraping the epidermal leaf tissues , causes white patches
on the leaves as a result leaves are withered appearance
In later stages – larvae feed on the leaves as a result bored holes
on the leaves
It also bores in to the pods and feeds on developing seeds
Management practices
 Installing pheromone trap @ 5 traps / acre to monitor the moth activity
 Collection and destruction of the larvae at gregarious stage at least twice a week
 Conserve Cotesia plutellae, as it is an important parasitoid for DBM
Diadegma insulare is also most important parasitoid for DBM
 For control grown up larvae apply 5 % malathion @ 37.5 Kg / ha

43. Thank you