Sorghum Insects A Lecture By Mr Allah Dad Khan

2. Sorghum Crop Insects
A Presentation To IPM Course/FFS Participants
By
Mr. Allah Dad Khan
Provincial Coordinator IPM KPK For MINFAL
Pakistan

3. Symptom of damage:
Dead Heart
 The maggot bores
inside the stem and
cuts the growing point
 Central shoots dried
and produce “dead
heart” symptom
 The infested plant
produces side tillers
Shootfly: Atherigona varia soccata

4. Red mining Side Tillers
Shootfly: Atherigona varia soccata

5. Identification of the
 pest:Egg: White,
cylindrical, distal
somewhat flattened
 Adult: Whitish grey fly
Shootfly: Atherigona varia soccata

6. Symptom of damage Dead Heart
 Withering and drying of
central shoot “dead
heart”
 Red mining in the
midrib, bore holes visible
on the stem near the
nodes
 Tender folded leaves
have parallel “shot hole”
Stem borer: Chilo partellus

7. Holes on Nodes Shot Hole
Stem borer: Chilo partellus

8. Identification of the
pest:Egg
Eggs
 : Scale-like flat oval eggs
in batches on the under
surface of leaves near the
midribs
 Larva: Yellowish brown
with a brown head and
prothoracic shield
 Adult: Moth is medium
size, straw coloured
Stem borer: Chilo partellus

9. Larva Pupa
Stem borer: Chilo partellus

10. Adult

11. Symptom of damage:
Dead Heart
 Central shoots dried
and produce the dead
hearts
Pink stem borer: Sesamia inferens

12. Identification of the pest: Eggs
 Egg: Bead like laid in
rows within the leaf
sheath
 Larva: Pinkish brown
with dark head
 Adult: Straw coloured
moth with white wing
Pink stem borer: Sesamia inferens

13. Larva Pupa
Pink stem borer: Sesamia inferens

14. AdultPink stem borer: Sesamia inferens

15. Symptom of
damage:Earheads
 are partially eaten with
chalky appearance
 Feacal pellets are
visible within the ear
heads
Ear Head caterpillar: Helicoverpa armigera

16. Identification of the pest:
Eggs
 Egg: Spherical in shape and creamy
white in colour, laid singly
 Larva: Shows colour variation from
greenish to brown. It has dark brown
grey lines on the body with lateral
white lines
 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
Ear Head caterpillar: Helicoverpa armigera

17. Larva Pupa
Ear Head caterpillar: Helicoverpa armigera

18. Ear Head caterpillar: Helicoverpa
armigera

19. Symptom of
damage:Plants
Stunted and toppled
leaves
 become unhealthy stunted
and yellow
 The leaves wither from top
downwards
 Honeydew secreted by the
bug causes growth of sooty
mould on leaves
 Panicle formation is inhibited
and the plants die if attack is
severe
 The midribs of the leaves turn
red due to egg-laying and may
dry up subsequently
Shoot bug: Peregrinus maidis

20. Shoot bug: Peregrinus maidis
 Midrib with egg layings

21. Identification of the pest:
adults
 Egg: Laid inside the
leaf tissue and covered
with a white waxy
substance
 Adult: Yellowish
brown to dark brown
with translucent wings
Shoot bug: Peregrinus maidis

22. Symptom of damage:
Chaffy Grains
 Nymphs and adult suck
the juice from within the
grains when they are in
the milky stage
 Grains shrink and turn
black in colour and ill
filled (or) chaffy
 Presence of large number
of nymphs and adults are
seen on the ear head
Sorghum midge: Contarinia sorghicola

23. Holes on Earhead Discoloured Grains
Sorghum midge: Contarinia sorghicola

24. Identification of the
pest:Egg
Eggs
 : Blue cigar shaped, laid
under the glumes or into
the middle of the florets
 Nymphs: Slender, green
in colour
 Adults: Male is green in
colour, female is green
with a brown margin
Sorghum midge: Contarinia sorghicola

25. Nymph Pupa
Sorghum midge: Contarinia sorghicola

26. Sorghum midge: Contarinia sorghicola
 Adult

27. Symptom of damage:
Stage of infection
 Pollen shedding due to
egg laying
 White pupal cases
protruding out from
the grains
 Chaffy grains with
holes
Sorghum midge: Contarinia sorghicola

28. Identification of the pest:
Adult:
 Fly is small, fragile
with a bright orange
abdomen and a pair of
transparent wings
Sorghum midge: Contarinia sorghicola