AEN 301 Pest Management in Field Crops 2+1
AEN 301 Pest Management in Field Crops 2+1
AEN 301 Pest Management in Field Crops 2+1
THEORY
Distribution, host-range, bionomics, symptoms of damage and management practices for major
pests of the following crops.
Cereals and Millets
1. Rice – sucking pests.
2. Rice – internal feeders.
3. Rice – foliage pests.
4. Wheat – sucking pests, internal feeders and foliage pests.
5. Millets – Sorghum.
6. Millets – Corn.
7. Millets – Pearl millet, Finger millet and Tenai.
Pulses
8. Redgram.
9. Greengram, Lab-lab.
10. Cowpea, beans, blackgram and chickpea.
Oil seeds
11. Mustard, Soybean.
12. Groundnut – foliar feeders.
13. Groundnut – subterranean pests.
14. Gingelly and Sunflower
15. Castor.
Fibre crops
16. Cotton – sucking pests.
17. Mid semester examination.
18. Cotton – bollworms.
19. Cotton – foliar feeders.
20. Cotton – stem weevil, surface and leaf weevils.
Sugars
21. Sugarcane – borers.
22. Sugarcane – sucking pests, subterranean pests.
23. Fumigatories and Masticatories – Tobacco
24. Green manure crops.
25. Forage crops.
26. Pests of stored commodities.
27. Scientific methods of storage.
28. Management of storage pests.
29. Locusts – biology, classification and management.
30. Rodents and their management.
31. Non insect pests – birds, crabs, snails.
32. Non insect pests – mites.
33. Integrated pest management case studies – rice, cotton.
34. Integrated pest management – future needs.
Lecture No. 1. PESTS OF RICE- SUCKING PESTS
8. Earhead stink bug/ Shield bug/Red spotted bug, Menida histrio, Pentatomidae,
Hemiptera
Symptom of attack: Small dot like discoloration on the grains.
Nature of damage: Both adult and nymph suck the sap/ milk of developing rice grain
and cause pecky rice. (Grain discoloration is caused by subsequent infections of
pathogenic fungi or bacteria on the sucking injuries and such grains are called as pecky
rice). Sucking of this pentatomid bug causes comparatively small dot like discolorations
on the grain than by L. acuta.
Egg: Eggs are laid in masses of 2-6 on leaves.
Nymph: Nymphs are dark brown.
Adult: It is a small brown bug with red and yellow spots.
Minor pests
1. White leafhopper, Cofana spectra, Cicadellidae, Hemiptera
2. Nama vandu/ Stripped bug, Tetroda histeroides, Pentatomidae, Hemiptera
3. Blue leafhopper, Empoascanara spp., Cicadellidae, Hemiptera
4. Zigzag leafhopper, Recilia dorsalis, Cicadellidae, Hemiptera
Lecture No. 2. PESTS OF RICE- BORERS AND DEFOLIATORS
I. BORERS
1. Paddy stem borer, Scirpophaga incertulas, Pyraustidae, Lepidoptera
Symptoms of attack: A number of stem borer moths seen dead and floating on the water
in the fields. In the vegetative stage, dead hearts seen in the affected tillers and in the
reproductive stage, whiteear may be seen.
Nature of damage: The insect may start attacking the plants in the nursery especially
long duration varieties. The incidence is mild in the season June to September, but later
on gets intensified from October to January and February. The caterpillar enters the
stem and feeds on the growing shoot. As a result the central shoot dries up and
produces the characteristic dead heart. The tillers may get affected at different stages.
When they are affected at the time of flowering the earheads become chaffy and are
known as white ear.
Egg: Eggs are creamy white, flattened, oval and scale like and laid in mass. Each egg
mass consists of 15-80 eggs and covered with buff coloured hairs. Before hatching, the
eggs darken to a purplish tinge. They are laid mostly near the tip of the leaves.
Larva: The hatched larvae move downward and wander about on the plant for 1 or 2
hours. They may hang down by a sliver thread and get to other plants with the help of
the wind. They can also swim over the water and reach other tillers. They enter the leaf
sheath and feed upon the green tissues of the stem for 2-3 days. Then they bore into the
stem near the node. Deposition of silica in the epidermal layer of the stem and leaf
sheath acts as an obstacle to the first instar larvae to chew up a hole. Generally only one
caterpillar is seen inside a tiller. It may come out and attack fresh tiller. The full-grown
caterpillar measures about 20 mm, white or yellowish white in colour with a
conspicuous prothoracic shield.
Pupa: Pupation takes place inside the rice stem, straw or stubble. Before pupation it
make a exit hole in the internode and covers it will a thin web for the adult to come out
later. The anterior extremity of the cocoon is tubular and attached to the exit hole and to
make the cocoon waterproof the larva webs two horizontal septa in this tubular area.
Adult: They exhibit remarkable sexual dimorphism. The female moth is bright
yellowish brown with a black spot at the centre of the forewing and a tuft of yellow
hairs at the anal region. The male is small in size and brownish.
I. BORERS
1. Shoot fly: Atherigona varia soccata: Anthomyiidae: Diptera.
Symptom of attack: Dead heats or drying of central shoots or production of profuse side
tillers in main plants.
Nature of damage: The maggots bore into the shoot of young plants, a week after
germination to about one month and as a result the central shoot dries up. If the plants
are attacked at the initial stages the mother plant may produce profuse side tillers, but
the tillers also may be attacked. The infestation often goes as high as 60%. The high
yielding hybrid varieties are severely attacked. In South India, crop is damaged during
October to December as also in summer.
Egg: Whitish eggs are laid singly on the under surface of the leaves which are about one
week old.
Maggot: The maggots are yellow in colour migrate to the dorsal surface of the leaf, enter
the space between the leaf sheath and the axis and make a clear cut through the tightly
rolled sheaths and damages growing point. The growing points of the plant die and
decay on which the maggots feed.
Pupa: Pupation takes place inside the stem itself.
Adult: The adult is a small dark fly. Female fly has whitish grey head and thorax, while
the abdomen is yellowish with paired brown patches. Male is darker in colour.
FINGER MILLET
1. Pink borer, Sesamia inferens, Noctuidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Deadheart.
Nature of damage: Larva congregate inside the leaf whorls and feed on the central
leaves causing typical ‘pin hole’ symptom. Severe feeding results in drying of the
central shoot and results in dead heart formation.
Egg: Creamy white spherical eggs laid in batches in between leaf sheaths and stem of
the plant.
Larva : Pinkish brown with a reddish brown head.
Pupa: Brown, obtect pupa, pupates inside the stem.
Adult: Straw coloured moth with forewings having 3 black spots and a faint brown
mid-stripe with white hindwings.
MAIZE
1. Stem fly, Atherigona orientalis, Muscidae, Diptera
Symptom of damage: Dead heart.
Nature of damage: Maggot.
Adult: Small grey coloured fly.
ITALIAN MILLET
1. Stem borer, Anadastus parvulus, Languriidae, Coloeptera
Symptom of damage: Scrapped leaves, plants wither and in severe cases.
Nature of damage: Grubs bore into the stem and cause withering of plants. Adult beetle
scrapes green matter on the leaves.
Grub: Yellowish with chitinous spines on the surface of the anal segment.
Adult: Small smooth beetle with red head and thorax and blue wings.
BORERS
1. Gram pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera, Noctuidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: In the early stages, plants seen defoliated. Boreholes seen on the
pods and affected pods have no seeds.
Nature of damage: Young larva feeds on tender leaves, buds, flowers, and subsequently
it bores into the pods and feeds on the seeds with its head and part of the body only
thrust inside, the rest remaining outside. A single larva may destroy 30-40 pods before
maturity.
Egg: Spherical in shape with a flattened base, giving dome shaped appearance, surface
is sculptured in the form of longitudinal ribs. Yellowish-white, glistening and change to
dark brown, before hatching.
Larva: Newly hatched caterpillar is sluggish and whitish-green in colour. Full-grown
larva is 3.5-4.0 cm in length with pale-green body colour. However, the colour varies
according to the food intake. Dorsal surface bears dark broken stripes. Head is reddish-
brown. Larva is highly cannibalistic and readily eats one another.
Pupa: It pupates in soil in earthen cell. Pupa is obtect type. Freshly formed pupa is
greenish yellow in colour and darkened prior to emergence of moths.
Adult: It is a medium-sized light brown coloured moth. On the forewings, there is
speck that forms a V-shaped mark. Hind wings are dull grey coloured with a black
border on the distal end. Female moth is bigger than male and presence of tuft of hairs
on the tip of the abdomen.
FLOWER FEEDER
10.Blister beetle, Mylabris pustulata, Meloidae, Coleoptera
Symptom of damage: Presence of blister beetles on the flowers. The adult beetles feed
on flowers, leaves and tender panicles, thus preventing grain formation.
Nature of damage: These beetles are diurnal and general feeders.
Egg: Eggs laid on the ground or in the soil.
Larva: First stage larva is ‘triungulins’ (long-legged) and actively searches for the host.
They moult to become eruciform or caraboid. (Hypermetamorphosis)
Pupa: Pupates in the soil.
Adult: Medium sized, 12.5-25.0 mm long. Conspicuous in appearance and are
moderately robustly built. Beetles are bright metallic blue, green, black and yellow or
brown in colour.
11. Flower webber, Eublemma hemirrhoda, Eublemma silicula, Nocutidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Webbing of flowers.
Nature of damage: Larva webs the flowers on the inflorescence in greengram,
blackgram and cowpea, and feeds on them.
Larva: Green with a black head and long white hairs on the body.
Pupa: Brown coloured, obtect type.
Adult: Moth has forewings with yellow and purple patches and white hind wings.
OTHER PESTS
12.Chafer beetle, Oxycetonia versicolor, Cetonidae,Coleoptera
13. Pod wasp, Tanaostigmodes cajaninae, Tanaostigmatidae, Hymenoptera
Lecture No. 8 & 9 PESTS OF PULSES- BLACKGRAM, GREENGRAM,
LABLAB AND COWPEA
SAP FEEDERS
1. Bean aphid, Aphis craccivora, Aphididae, Hemiptera
Symptom of damage: Presence of aphid colonies on the leaves, terminal shoots and
pods. In severe cases, the plants wither and vigour reduced.
Nature of damage: Colonies of nymphs and adults found on leaves, terminal shoots and
pods and such the plant sap. Vector of stunt disease in chickpea, rosette of groundnut.
Serious pest when the rainfall is low.
Nymph: Newly laid nymph is translucent with reddish brown compound eyes. After a
couple of minutes changes to light yellow. After about 30 minutes, the nymph starts
moving and in an hour starts feeding.
Adult: Apterous females are shiny, dark brown or black. Alate forms are greenish black
with transparent wings.
LEAF FEEDER
7. Leaf webber, Eucosma critica, Eucosmidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: During vegetative stage of the crop, the caterpillar damages
leaves by webbing, while at the floral stages of the crop they enter the buds, flowers and
pods and feed on the immature seeds.
Nature of damage: Young larva gets itself concealed into the frass produced during the
course of scratching. The grown-up larva then draws the two leaves together and spins
a thread between them, in which it passes later instar and also pupates.
Egg: Oval, creamy white in colour, laid singly in leaves, petioles or stem.
Larva: Young larvae are pale-yellow in colour, moderately stout, smooth, except for a
few short scattered hairs. It hibernates in larval form.
Pupa: Yellowish in colour, gradually turn to light-brown and finally to dark brown.
Pupates in thin papery white silken cocoon.
Adult: Dusky brown with forewings having four black dots and a silvery transparent
mark
OTHER PESTS
11. Leafhopper, Empoasca kerri, E. binotata, Cicadellidae, Hemiptera
12. Redgram scale, Ceroplastodes cajani, Coccidae, Hemiptera
13. Redgram leaf roller, Caloptilia soyella, Gracillaridae, Lepidoptera
14. Leaf eating caterpillar, Azazia rubricans, Noctuidae, Lepidoptera
15. Sphingid caterpillar, Acherontia styx, Sphingidae, Lepidoptera
16. Leaf cutter bee, Megachile antracena, Megachilidae, Hymenoptera
Lecture No. 10. PESTS OF OILSEEDS - MUSTARD
MUSTARD
1. Mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi, Aphididae, Hemiptera
Nature of damage: Suck the sap from under surface of leaves.
Nymph: Light yellowish green in colour and pear shaped.
Adult: Darker than nymph.
LEAF FEEDERS
1. Red hairy caterpillar, Amsacta albistriga, Arctiidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Defoliation
Nature of damage: All the leaves are eaten away by the larvae leaving the main stem
alone. Larvae are voracious feeders. During severe attack, the caterpillars move in
groups destroying field after field.
Egg: Light yellow spherical eggs are laid in clusters on the undersurface of the leaves.
Larva: Hairy caterpillar reddish brown with black band on either end having long
reddish brown hairs all over the body.
Pupa: Reddish brown and elongate remains under soil for 9-10 months. Adults emerge
after receiving the first monsoon showers.
Adult: Forewing white with brownish streak all over and yellowish streak along the
anterior margin and head; hindwings white with black markings.
2.Leaf miner/ Surul poochi/ soybean leaf miner, Aproaerema modicella, Gelechiidae,
Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Brown blotches in midrib; terminal leaflets with white patches;
webbed together, distorted and finally get dried up.
Nature of damage: Minute larvae wander briefly and they mine into the leaves and eat
the green matter of the leaves. Later they web several leaves together and feed inside
the enclosed space thus formed.
Egg: Laid on the leaves and shoots.
Larva: Small, green in colour with dark head and prothorax.
Pupa: Reddish brown. Pupa is formed inside the mines.
Adult: Dark brown moth with a white spot on the costal margin of each forewing.
SUBTERRANEAN PESTS
5. Stem borer, Ver poochi, Sphenoptera perotetti, Buprestidae, Coleoptera
Symptom of damage: Branches may droop and the plants show wilting and may die
when the grubs reach the root.
Nature of damage: Grubs tunnel the stem just below the soil surface and main roots,
tunnel containing elongate flat-headed grubs.
Life stages
Egg: Small flat oval eggs laid on the main stem of the plants.
Grub: Slender pale whitish with flattened anterior portion, called ‘flat-headed grubs’.
Pupa: Pupation occurs inside burrows (tunnels) from which the adult beetles emerge by
cutting their way out.
Adult: Dark brown, shiny beetle, jewel like and small (1 cm) beetle.
Adult: Elongated body with annular ring-like segments with two pairs of legs in each
segment, brown in colour.
SAP FEEDERS
11. Aphids, Aphis craccivora, Aphididae, Hemiptera
Symptom of damage: Wilting of tender shoots during hot weather. Leaves mottled with
chlorotic or dark green spots and plants stunted.
Nature of damage: Nymphs and adults suck the sap from tender shoots. Vector of
groundnut rosette. In cowpea and blackgram it can transmit yellow mosaic.
Nymph and Adult: Reddish to dark brown coloured aphids.
GINGELLY
1. Leaf webber, Leaf roller, Sesame webworm, Til leaf roller, Simsim webworm, pod
caterpillar, Antigastra catalaunalis, Pyraustidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Top leaves rolled and webbed together and damaged in
vegetative phase; flowers and young capsules bored at reproductive phase.
Nature of damage: Larvae start attack from 15th day of sowing. In 1st instar stage, acts as
leaf miner, in later stage, comes out of the mine and acts as webber by webbing the top
leaves or tip of shoot, by remaining within epidermis results in drying of webbed
portion. When the flowers are formed, it bores into flowers and feeds on reproductive
parts. When capsule formed, it acts as capsule borer. By suitably adjusting its feeding
habit, it attacks throughout the crop period. Pest is active during rainy season.
Egg: Eggs are oblong, shinning pale green, laid singly on the tender leaves or flowers at
night.
Larva: Dirty white with dark prominent head. Grown up larva are greenish white in
colour with black warts and fine hairs all over the body. Hibernates as caterpillar within
pods.
Pupa: Pupates in silken cocoon under fallen leaves or in soil crevices. Pupa is slender,
greenish brown in colour.
Adult: Forewings are reddish-yellow colour with zigzig indistinct reddish decorative
markings on them; hindwings are pale yellow and rather transparent.
3. Sphinx, Death’s head moth, hawk moth, Acherontia styx, Sphingidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Defoliation.
Nature of damage: Massive larva is voracious feeder on leaves defoliating the whole
plant.
Egg: Large yellowish eggs are laid singly on leaves.
Larva: Stout, sturdy and greenish with dark green or yellow oblique lines on its sides
also decorated with pleasant mixture of soft colours; measures 90-100 mm long and 12-
15 mm broad and bears a curved caudal horn.
Pupa: Pupates in soil.
Adult: Large, robust, greyish brown insect, which is an active flier. Forewings have
dark-brown and grey patterns with dark wavy markings and a prominent yellow spot
on each wing while the hindwings are ochre background with black border and few
black spots, two dark brown wavy broad cross strips. Wingspan is about 10 cm. The
thorax bears a prominent Death’s head mark. Abdomen is ochracious in general hue
with dark-brown cross bands.
4. Leaf hopper, Orosius albicinctus, Cicadellidae, Hemiptera
Symptom of damage: Phyllody.
Nature of damage: Vector of sesamum phyllody.
Adult: Light brown coloured hoppers.
SUNFLOWER
CASTOR
1. Shoot and capsule borer, Conogethes (=Dichocrocis) punctiferalis, Pyraustidae,
Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Capsules with bore holes, damaged capsules webbed together,
peduncle and capsules show galleries made of silk and frass.
Nature of damage: In early stage, larvae are present at junction of the petiole feed on
petiole and young leaves. They also bore into capsule and peduncle.
Egg: Eggs are laid on tender parts of plants.
Larva: Pale greenish with pinkish tinge, black blotches and fine hairs with dark head
and prothoracic shield.
Pupa: Pupation takes place in cocoons of silk, inside the stem or capsule.
Adult: Yellowish with black spots on both pair of wings.
SUCKING PESTS
1. Leafhopper / Jassid, Amrasca devastans, Cicadellidae, Hemiptera
Symptom of attack: Yellowing of leaves, crinkling, backward curls of leaves, bronzing
and hopperburn, plants become stunted .
Nature of damage : Nymphs and adults remain between the veins on the undersurface
of the leaves and sucks the sap.
Egg : Elongate, yellowish eggs are laid singly within the leaf veins in the
parenchymatous layer between the vascular bundles and the epidermis on the upper
leaf surface.
Nymph : Light green, translucent, wingless and wedge shaped.
Adult : Slender green insect, wedge shaped
DEFOLIATORS
1. Leaf roller, Sylepta derogata, Pyraustidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom: Leaves rolled in the form of trumpets and fastened by silken threads,
defoliation.
Nature of damage : Larva remain within the fold and eat away the leaves. A single
larva can damage several leaves.
Egg : Round, yellowish green, laid singly on undersurface of the leaves.
Larva : Green , glistening with dark head and prothoracic shield.
Pupa : Naked, obtect, pupates within leaf roll / under fallen leaves / debris.
Adult: Medium sized, yellowish wings with brown wavy markings.
2. Semiloopers : Anomis flava, Xanthodes graellsi, Tarache nitidula:Noctuidae ,
Lepidoptera
Symptom of attack : Defoliation, leaves with midribs, presence of larva
Nature of damage : Larvae defoliates the plant.
Egg: Singly laid.
Larva : A. flava– Green with five white longitudinal lines and red prolegs; X.graellsi –
Green with a pair of horse-shoe shaped black mark on each segment and black warts on
the abdomen; T.nitidula – Dark brown caterpillar.
Pupa : A. flava-obtect, pupates within leaf folds; X.graellsi – pupates in soil.
Adult : A. flava– medium sized , brown moth; forewings reddish-brown provided with
dark coloured zig-zag bands. Hindwings are light brown; X.graellsi – yellowish with a
brown streak; T.nitidula – Stout and white moth with black spots.
3. Ash weevil, Myllocerus spp., Curculionidae, Coleoptera
Symptom of attack : Holes in the leaves, leaf margins notched, roots eaten up, plants
wilt and they come off easily when pulled
Nature of damage : Grubs remain underground and feed on the root system. Adults
they damage the above ground parts
Egg : White, laid in the rhizosphere.
Grub : White apodous.
Pupa : Exarate, pupates in soil.
Adult : Green / Brown / Grey with or without markings on the elytra.
BORERS
1. Stem weevil, Pempherulus affinis, Curculionidae, Coleoptera
Symptom of attack: Swellings of stem at the point of attack (collar region) and the plant
break off from this point, when heavy winds blow.
Nature of damage: Adults feed on the bark while the young grub cuts through
medullary rays, tunnels round the stem along the cambium and feed on the soft
portion.
Egg : White, globular, oval eggs are laid in cavities scooped in tender nodes. The
cavities are sealed with a gummy secretion.
Grub : White, apodous.
Pupa : Exarate, pupates in a pupal chamber within the stem.
Adult : Brownish weevil, 3 mm long, with two small white patches on the elytra.
BORERS
1. Early shoot borer, Chilo infuscatellus, Crambidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Deadheart in 1-3 month old crop, which can be easily pulled out,
rotten portion of the straw coloured dead-heart emits an offensive odour. A number of
bore holes at the base of the shoot just above the ground level.
Nature of damage: Caterpillar bores into the central shoot and feeds on the internal
tissue. This cause interference in the translocation of plant sap and damage the sugar
storing tissues.
Egg: Flat-scale like eggs are laid in 3-5 rows on the lower surface of leaves in masses of
4-100. The masses are slightly overlapping like tiles.
Larva: Larva is dirty white with five dark violet longitudinal stripes and dark brown
head.
Pupa: Pupation takes place within the tunnel. Caterpillar before pupating makes a large
exit hole in the stem and blocks the opening with silken discs.
Adult: Pale greyish brown moth with black dots near the costal margin of the forewings
and with white hindwings.
OTHER PESTS
Gurdaspur borer, Bissetia steniellea, Crambidae, Lepidoptera
Grasshopper, Oxya velox, Acrididae, Orthoptera
Spiny beetle, Asmangulia cuspidata, Hispidae, Coleoptera
Lecture No. 22 & 23
PESTS OF GREEN MANURE CROPS AND FORAGE CROPS
SESBANIA
BORERS
1. Sesbania stem borer, Azygophleps scalaris, Cossidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Drying of sesbania plants.
Nature of damage: Stoutly built larva bores into the stem and feeds, the faecal matter
getting accumulated at the entrance hole.
Egg: Laid in masses attached to the leaflets.
Larva: Robust larva of 7 cm length, light brown with a reddish brown head.
Pupa: Pupa has spines anteriorly with the help of which it moves up and down inside
the tunnel in the stem.
Adult: Sluggish yellowish brown moth.
2. Stem weevil, Alcidodes bubo, Curculionidae, Coleoptera
Symptom of damage: Drying of the terminal branches or whole plant, lodging of the
plants during monsoon seasons; affected stem with numerous bore holes and swelling
symptoms. Presence of apodous grub inside the stem.
Nature of damage: Grubs riddle into stem and cause thickenings on stem. The growth
and vigour of the plants are impaired to a great extent.
Egg: Laid on the stem.
Grub : Apodous whitish grub.
Adult: Reddish brown weevil with white transverse markings on the elytra.
LEAF FEEDERS
3. Green semilooper, Pericyma glaucinans, Noctuidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Defoliation of plants preceding with leaflets damage.
Nature of damage: Caterpillar feeds on the leaflets remaining along the ribs of leaves.
Larva : Pale green, semilooper with broad yellow lateral stripes.
Adult: Dark brown with black lines
4. Green looper, Semiothisa pervelgata, Semiothisa emersaria, Geometridae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Defoliation of plants preceding with leaflets damage.
Nature of damage: Larvae feed on the leaves.
Egg: Oval greenish eggs laid singly on leaves.
Larva : Pale green looper with white lines and when full grown becomes pink with
horizontal bands of violet patches dorsally on the abdominal segments.
Pupa: Pupates in the soil.
Adult: White colour with three dark lines and spots on the wings.
5. Brown looper, Hyposidra succesaria, Geometridae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Defoliation of plants preceding with leaflets damage.
Nature of damage: Larvae feed on the leaves.
Egg: Deposited in clusters.
Larva : Reddish brown in colour with spots.
Pupa: Pupates in soil.
Adult: Reddish in colour with faint lines.
6. Leaf webber, Striglina scitaria, Thyrdidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Webbing of terminal leaflets into conical structures.
Nature of damage: In the early stage the larva twists the terminal portion of the leaflet
in the form of a small cone and lives inside scraping the green matter. As it grows, it
webs together the leaflets and lives inside the tunnel of the web and ultimately pupates
inside it.
Egg: Laid in groups of 2-4 in a row on the edges of leaflets.
Larva : Greenish caterpillar with black head.
Pupa: Pupates within the leaf web itself.
Adult: Light brown moth with oblique lines on wings.
7. Pierid butterflies, Eurema hecabe var. contubernalis, Pieridae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Defoliation of the leaflets.
Nature of damage: Caterpillar feeds on leaves.
Egg: White spindle shaped eggs laid singly on leaves.
Larva : Greenish caterpillar with white lateral lines.
Pupa: Chrysalis pupa attached to the stem with a girdle.
Adult: Yellow coloured butterfly with black margins.
8. Mottled emigrant, Catopsilia pyranthe, Pieridae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Defoliation of the leaflets.
Nature of damage: Larvae feeds on the leaves.
Larva : Greenish caterpillar with lateral yellow stripes and black dots.
Adult: Male forewing chalky white or greenish with apical and terminal black border.
Female: Black markings broader than in male.
9. Semilooper, Grammodes stolida, Noctuidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Defoliation.
Larva : Velvety black larva with a row of red spots.
Adult: Forewing with a large black patch occupying the whole wing except the basal,
coastal and outer areas. Hind wings with medial pale band.
10. Spodoptera litura 11. Dasychira mendosa
SAP FEEDERS
12. Stink bug, Piezodorus rubrofasciatus and Cyclopelta siccifolia, Pentatomidae,
Hemiptera
14. Stink bug, Brachyplatys vauhli, Plataspidae, Hemiptera 15. Coptosoma cribraria 16.
Riptortus pedestris 17. Clavigrella horrens 18. Clavigrella gibbosa 19. Aphis craccivora
SUNHEMP
1. Hairy caterpillar, Utethesia pulchella, Arctiidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Defoliation of the plant.
Nature of damage: Larva feeds on leaves and also cause severe damage by feeding on
the contents of developing pods.
Larva : Hairy caterpillar with brown head. Yellow lines on the dorsal and dorso-lateral
side with black stripes and orange patches. Body has long brownish hairs arising on
warts.
Pupa: Pupates in the soil.
Adult: Red and black spots on the white forewings.
2. Hairy caterpillar, Argina cribraria, Argina syringa, Hypsidae, Lepidoptera
Symptom of damage: Defoliation.
Nature of damage: Larvae feeds on the leaves.
Egg: Yellowish eggs laid in clusters on the undersurface of the leaves.
Larva : Hairy caterpillar with black transverse markings and white spots.
Pupa: Pupates on the plant or the surface of the soil.
Adult: A. cribraria has black spots on yellowish wings. A. syringa has black spots on
reddish brown wings.
3. Flea beetle, Longitarsus belgamensis, Alticidae, Coleoptera
Nature of damage:Adult makes minute holes on leaves, grub feeds on the roots by
mining.
Egg: Laid in soil.
Grub : Yellowish grub.
Pupa: Pupates in earthen cells in the soil.
Adult: Yellowish brown small beetle with enlarged hind femur.
4. Sunhemp mirid, Ragmus importunitas, Miridae, Hemiptera
Symptom of damage: Minute chlorotic spots, later coalescing to cause yellowing of
leaves.
Nature of damage: Nymphs and adults suck the sap from tender leaves and shoots and
cause yellowing of leaves and in severe attack, death of plants.
Egg: Eggs laid singly into plant tissue.
Adult: Greenish bug.
5. Stem borer, Enarmonia tricentra, Eucosmidae, Lepidoptera
6. Etiella zinckenella
FORAGE CROPS
LUCERNE
1. Spotted alfalfa aphid, Therioaphis maculata, Aphididae, Hemiptera
Nature of damage: Nymph and adult suck the sap.
Adult: Yellow coloured aphids with series of spots.
2. Lucerne weevil, Hypera variabblis, Curculionidae, Coleoptera
Symptom of damage: Leaves with irregular holes. Affected plants remain stunted.
Nature of damage: Grub and adult cause the damage.
SUBABUL
1. Jumping lice, Heteropsylla cubana, Psyllidae, Hemiptera
Symptom of damage: Wilting of growing shoots resulting in die back; plants unable to
put forth new growth. Honeydew deposition and sooty mould development.
Nature of damage: Nymph and adult cause the damage.
Nymph : Minute yellow. Adult: Pale greenish yellow.
Lecture No. 24 RODENT DAMAGE AND THEIR MANAGEMENT
Vertebrata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Rodentia
3. Norway rat, Brown rat, Sewer rat, Ship rat, Rattus norvegicus
Nature of damage: Feeds on grain. Damage containers i.e. bags/ cartons. Pollutes grain
with excreta, droppings and hairs. Spread various diseases. Droppings found in groups
and spindle shaped.
Habits: It is habituated of making burrows outside grain stores but often lives in
sewers. The burrows are only on surface with two to five openings. Normally it stays
within a radius of 25 to 30 meters. It is a good swimmer. Life span is for one year.
4. Smaller bandicoot, Indian mole rat, Lesser bandicoot, Outdoor rat, Bandicota
bengalensis
Nature of damage: Being omnivorous it feeds on grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts,
sometimes flesh of young ones and dead animals. It damages crops in fields (sugarcane,
wheat, paddy, maize, etc.) and gardens besides grain in granaries at times. But the
damage to cereals is little as it prefers to cut cereal crop plants particularly ‘ear heads’
thereby affecting yield considerably. It hoards grains in its burrows upto 6 kgs.
Occasionally it attack poultry. It is an important plague carrier too. In godowns besides
waste and contamination, it adds filth also. Droppings are scattered and oval shaped.
Habits: It is an expert in digging burrows with characteristic mounds of soil, which
hide the opening of burrows hence the name - mole rat. It is an excellent swimmer,
often living in bunds; it swims to damage even flooded fields of paddy. Being mainly
nocturnal, it prefers to stay in burrows during daytime. Burrows have never been
noticed inside warehouses or stores.
RODENT CONTROL: The following methods can be adopted for rodent control.
I. NON-CHEMICAL
1. Physical methods
a. Rat proofing: While constructing new godowns, care should be taken to construct
them rat proof. The characteristics of an ideal godown are as follows: Godowns should
be away from habituation. Should be on high plinth. Water accumulation in the nearby
places should be avoided. Pucca masonry cement concrete structures are preferable. No
tree or branches of the tree should hang over the godowns roof. All windows
ventilators, gutters, drains should be fitted with 24 gauge ¼” (0.6 cm) expanded metal
mesh. Manholes should be properly covered. Doors must be closely fitted. Clearance
between doors and floors, should not exceed ¼ “ (0.6 cm). Must have 3’ (90 cms) deep
pucca foundations. Doors should be equipped with 9” (25 cms) metal sheet lining at the
bottom. Platform stairs in front of godowns should not be allowed overnight. Platform
should have 12” (30.5 cm) projection in an inversed L shaped manner. All the walls and
floors should be plastered smooth with cement. Any rat hole observed must be closed
with cement. If the hole is big enough, it should be filled with glass pieces. Automatic
door closers help in banning rat entry. Regular inspection and sanitation of godowns is
a must for effective rat control.
b. Hygiene and sanitation: Food should be kept in rat proof containers. Waste foods and
empty food tins should be thrown in dustbin with tightly fitting lids. Food stocks
should be stored in such a way that they can be inspected from all sides at frequent
intervals. Piles of rubbish, timber and bricks should not be allowed to accumulate in or
near the godowns. Best time for removing rubbish is just before taking temporary
control measures. By using rat repellent in stores.
c. Use of ultrasonic devices: Sound waves emitted by ultrasonic devices are unbearable by
rats and mice and are unheard by humans. These are reported to repel the rats without
producing any harm to human beings. However, so far effective equipment is not
available.
2. Mechanical:
a. Trapping: It reduces the population but does not control further multiplication. It is
effective only when the population is low. Trapped rats should be killed by drowning
cages in ponds and dead rats buried. Break back traps kill the rats while trapping.
Placing of trap and selecting of bait play an important role of controlling rodents in
fields, houses and godowns. The tanjore bamboo bow traps, pot traps and break back
trap type are very useful in controlling field rats. In warehouses/ houses the physical
methods adopted are plugging the holes with glass pieces and cement plastering,
having snugly fitting doors, constructing a plinth of 75 cm high without any steps or
ladder and rat proofing by fixing metallic sheets at the bottom of doors and use of box
trap and wonder trap.
b. Killing of solitary rats by sticks, brooms and some other ways by individual.
3. Cultural
a. Deep ploughing: Ploughing upto 18” (45 cms) will unearth rat burrows and the pest
will be exposed to enemies, like dogs, cats, kites etc. But it can be done only once before
sowing operations. Due to their high rate of multiplication rats recover the same
population level.
b. Flooding the fields: Burrows in the fields can be flooded with water, which kill the rats.
c. Formation of narrow bunds: Rodents prefers broader bunds for making burrows.
4. Biological
a. Predators : Snakes and mongooses are well known predators of rats. Fixing bamboo
poles near the rat burrow. Birds like owls, eagles etc come and sit on them. As and
when the rat comes out they catch and kill. Keeping cats in houses also checks the rat
population.
b. Parasites: Salmonella sp. of virus can be used for rodent control but not recommended
due to health threat to non target species.
II. CHEMICAL: Compounds, which kill the rats by their chemical action, are known as
rodenticides. These poisonous rodenticides can be divided into two groups.
a. Acute/ Single dose poison: Zinc phosphide, Barium chloride, Red squill, Thallium
sulphate are some of the compounds which have been used as rat poisons. These are
called as ‘acute poison’ as these are highly toxic in nature i.e. they show immediate fatal
results. The defect of acute poisons is that these create poison shyness and bait aversion
in rodents. E.g. Zinc phosphide 2 parts, food grains 96 parts and any edible oil 2 parts.
b. Chronic/ Multiple dose poison: The modern way to kill rodents in houses or godowns is
by using anticoagulants. If consumed regularly in sufficient quantity for a prolonged
period causes blood hemorrhage in mammals. These are easy to handle and involve no
health hazard to man. These do not create bait shyness.
i. Ready to feed: Rodents can be fed directly when the bait is of ready to use type.
ii. Dry baits: In case of dry concentrate form, the bait is to be prepared in the
following manner. Anticoagulant 25 gms (5 tea spoonfuls), flour 450 gms (4 tea cup
fulls), sugar or jaggery (in powder form) 15 gms (3 tea spoonfuls), any edible oil 10 gms
(2 tea spoonfuls). It should place in rat runs, dark places, where rats can consume bait
without disturbance even during day-time. Consumed baits should be replaced daily.
Rats start drying after a period 6-7 days. Baiting should continue for 21 days to get an
effective kill.
c. Fumigation of rat burrows: It gives quick results as problems like new object reaction
and bait shyness do not arise.
i. Cyanogas fumigation: Calcium cyanide was used as a fumigant. Before starting
fumigation work all rat burrows should be closed by loose earth. The following day,
freshly opened (live burrows) should be cleared and 10-20 gms (3-4 tea spoonfulls0 of
fumigant applied with the pump-applicator (6-10 strokes of the pump). The burrows
should be immediately closed tightly after removal of pump hose to avoid any leakage
of poisonous gas. Next day the fumigated burrows are again examined and any
reopened burrows are refumigated.
ii. Phosphine gas fumigation: Aluminium phosphide pellets of 0.6 gms are utilized
for carrying out burrow fumigation exactly in the same manner as discussed above for
cyano gas. Since the pellets are to be utilized, no pumping is necessary. A simple rod
like hollow applicator is thrust deep into the burrows and two pellets are put in each
burrow. A bamboo tube hollow from inside can be utilized in the same manner. In the
absence of applicator, even direct burrow fumigation can be resorted to. The process is
repeated twice in the following days on noticing any opened burrows.
Lecture No. 25 & 26 STUDY OF NON-INSECT PESTS
MITES
Order : Acarina Class : Arachinda
Plant pests belong to the orders Tetranychidae (spider mites), Tenipalpidae (false
spider mites), Tarsonemidae (tarsonemids), Eriophyidae (blister or gall mites) and
Eupodidae (eupodids). Of these spider mites are the most important and prevalent.
Mites normally feed on the undersurface of the leaves but the symptoms are more
easily seen on the uppersurface. Tetranychids produce blotching on the leaf-surface,
tarsonemids and eriophyids produce distortion, puckering or stunting of leaves and
other parts of the plant. Some species of eriophyids produce distinct galls or blisters.
Family : Tetranychidae
1. Tetranychus cinnabarinus, Tetranychus neocaledonicus, Tetranychus ludeni: This species
has a world-wide distribution. Its infestation recorded on cotton, castor, pulses,
groundnut, daincha, sesbania. Brinjal, cotton and bhendi are the worst sufferers.
Symptom of damage: Undersurface of the leaves get covered with strands of webbing
which affect photosynthesis and so the yield. Chlorotic spots coalesce into pale or
silvery patches. Eventually the leaves dry up and fall off. Growth, flowering and fruit
setting in the plants are greatly affected. Both nymphs and adults cause the damage.
3. Oligonychus oryzae: It infests rice. White spots on lower surface of leaves which
coalesce leading to development of white or silvery patches. It is severe during summer.
Family: Tarsonemidae
4. Polyphagotarsonemus latus (yellow mite, broad mite, chilli muranai mite): These are
pests of chilli, cowpea, greengram, horsegram, sesamum, lablab, jute and cotton.
Symptom of damage: Sudden curling and crinkling of leaves followed by development
of blister patches. Severe stunting of growth and death of plants.
Family Eriophyidae
5. Aceria cajani: It is a vector of sterility mosaic of pigeonpea.
6. Aceria sorghii: Leaf crinkling, general chlorosis and choking of terminal leaves. Host
plant is sorghum.
Other bird pests are parrot, baya weaver, peacock, seven sisters.
Management of birds
Cultural: Deep sowing of seeds, covering the seeds with soil, pre-and post dating of
sowing, growing of trap crops near the main one and use of plant varieties that are
physically and gustatorily unattractive to birds.
Electrified perches: Bird perches could be electrified to disperse the birds or kill them
by regulating the voltage.
Use of deterrents: Scare-crow (a human figure erected in the fields) or acetylene gun, a
device by which loud bangs are produced by the action of water on calcium carbide;
use of bioacoustics, in which bird’s stress or alarm signals are recorded and played in
the fields at intervals which should be kept changing to prevent the birds getting used
to them; use of repellents or feeding deterrent, TMTD.
Other methods are Use of nylon nets, Fumigation of nests with Aluminium phosphide
tablets,Trapping, use of reflecting ribbons.
Snails differ from slugs in having a spirally coiled shell over their body which in
slugs is reduced and completely hidden under the mantle.
They do a lot of damage to vegetables, garden plants, the damage being more
serious in the seedling stage. Giant African snails even damage plantation crops like
arecanut, rubber buds and coffee.
Management:
Cultural: They can be handpicked and killed.
Chemical: Metaldehyde (5%), copper sulphate solution (1%) and insecticides
(aresenates, persistent organochlorines, etc.)
Lecture No. 27 PESTS OF STORED PRODUCTS
PRIMARY PESTS
1. Rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae, S. zeamais, S. granarius, Curculionidae, Coleoptera
Host range: Wheat, rice, maize, jowar, paddy.
Life history: 150-250 E 4-5 d L
20 d
A 3-6 d P
Symptom of damage: Presence of irregular holes of 1.5 m diameter on grains of rice,
sorghum, wheat, barley, maize before harvest and in store.
Nature of damage: Both grub and adults cause the damage. Grains are hollowed out;
kernels are reduced to mere powder. S. oryzae and S. zeamais starts its attack in field
itself. Adults cut circular holes. Heating takes place during heavy infestation, which is
known as ‘dry heating’.
Egg: Translucent white, plugs the egg hole with gelatinous secretion, laid singly.
Grub : White with yellowish brown head, apodous, fleshy, curved, remains within the
grain
Pupa: Pupates inside the grain.
Adult: Small, reddish brown to chocolate coloured weevils has characteristic snout,
elbowed antennae, slightly clubbed. Hindwings present except in S. granarius. S. zeamais
is the largest amongst the three species.
SECONDARY PESTS
11. Rust red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, Tenebrionidae, Coleoptera
Confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum, Tenebrionidae, Coleoptera
Host range: Broken grains/ mechanically damaged grains, germ portion and milled
products. Heavy infestation causes stinking odour in flour, adversely affecting the
dough quality. It is an important pest for mill machinery.
Life history: 400-500 E 5-12 d G
1-1 ½ years 3-12 weeks Total life cycle : 3-4 weeks
A 5-9 d P
Symptom of damage: Presence of grub, adults, moulted skin in the flour, acid odour.
Nature of damage: Grubs feed on milled products. Flour beetles are secondary pests of
all grains and primary pests of flour and other milled products. In grains, embryo or
germ portion is preferred. They construct tunnels as they move through flour and other
granular food products. In addition they release gaseous quinines to the medium,
which may produce a readily identifiable acid odour in heavy infestations.
Egg: White, translucent, sticky, slender and cylindrical.
Grub: Worm like, whitish cream colour, faint stripes, two spines like appendages at the
end segment. Pupa: Pupa remains loosely lying in the grain and is naked.
Adult: Oblong, flat, brown in colour. In T. confusum, the compound eyes are completely
notched and antennae are not gradually thickened whereas in T. castaneum, the notch is
not complete and antennae have a clear 3-segmented club.
A 5-10 d P
Nature of damage: Both grubs and adults feed.
Egg: White, smooth, cylindrical eggs at random in grain and seams of the bags.
Grub : Active grub feeds voraciously. Pupa: Pupa is naked.
Adult: Light brown with elongated body, resembles Tribolium sp. Antennae shorter
than head, 11 segmented with 5 clubbed apical segments.
13. Flat grain beetle, Cryptolestus minutas, Laemophloeus pusillus, Cucujidae, Coleoptera
Host range: Rice, maize, wheat with excessive brokens, different flours, groundnut
particularly with high moisture and mouldy grain.
Life history: E 5d G
6-12 mon 21 d Total life cycle : 6 weeks
A P
Nature of damage: Both adults and grubs feed on stored products and are important
pests of mills. Grubs feed on germ portion and even on dead insects. Adults are only
scavengers, cause heating in grain and flour in case of heavy infestation.
Egg: White eggs are laid loosely in flour, grain or crevices.
Grub : Cigar like, yellowish white with two reddish brown spines at anal segment.
Pupa: Matured larvae pupates in a gelatinous cocoon covered with dust particles.
Adult: Tiny, light to dark reddish brown beetle with filiform antennae.
21-41 d
A 10 d P
Symptom of damage: Presence of dense webbing of grains and foul smell, which makes
the grains unfit for human consumption.
Nature of damage: Larva is only responsible for damage. It contaminates foodgrains
with frass, moults and dense webbing. In whole grains, kernels are bound into lumps
upto 2 kg.
Egg: Small, oval, elliptical laid on wall, bags or on grain. Larva : Creamy white has
prothoracic shield. Pupa: It webs silken shelter before pupation. In case of heavy
infestation cocoons may be seen sticking to the grain bags. Cocoon dense white and
tough. Adult: Pale buff brown colour.
16. Fig or Almond or Warehouse moth, Ephestia cautella, Phycitidae, Lepidoptera
Host range: Wheat, rice, maize, jowar, groundnuts, spices.
Life history: 200-250 E 3-4 d L
14 d 40-50 d
A 12 d P
Symptom of damage: Before pupation, large number of wandering larvae trails behind
silken threads. Such fine threads form the carpets of white sheen over the bags.
Matured larva spins a silken cocoon at the junction of two overlapping edges of stacked
bags.
Nature of damage: Larva feeds on germ portion leaving the rest of the kernel
undamaged. In bulk infestation its damage is limited to peripheral top layers only. Web
formation covers the bags, floor-space and mill machinery thereby leading to clogging
in mills.
Egg: Eggs are laid in grains exposed at the sampling tube spots in jute bags.
Larva : Greyish white, hairy with dark brown head with 2 dark areas on the first
segment behind the head.
Pupa: Spins silken cocoon at the time of pupation.
Adult: Dirty white to greyish in colour with indistinct black bands,
A 10 d P
Symptom of damage: Borehole on the grain.
Nature of damage: Larva causes serious damage to ear and grain of maize;
contaminates the grain with excreta, cast skins, webbings, dead individuals and
cocoons; prefers to eat the germ portion and hence grains lose viability. It feeds
superficially but may construct more than one silken tunnel.
Egg: Greyish white with granular surface, laid indiscriminately at night.
Larva: Transparent, dirty white, skin is granular with hairy body.
Pupa: Straw coloured, changes colour to greyish with age, in silken cocoon.
Adult: Forewing basal half silver white or greyish, outer 2/3 portion is reddish copper
bronze lustre with irregular bands.