Spotted bollworms: Earias vittella, Spiny bollworm: Earias insulana
Symptom of damage
- Drying and drooping of terminal shoots during pre-flowering stage
- Shedding of squares and young bolls
- Flaring up of bracts during square and young boll formation stage
- Holes on bolls and rotting of bolls.
Identification of the pest: E. vitella
- Larva- Brownish with white streaks dorsally and pale yellow ventrally, Without finger-shaped processes
Adult
- Small buff coloured
- Forewings are pea green with a wedge-shaped white band running from base to out margin
Identification of the pest: E. insulana
- Larva- Brown with dorsum showing a white median longitudinal streak. The last two thoracic segments and all the abdominal segments have two pairs of fleshy tubercles (finger-shaped processes) one dorsal and the other lateral
- Pupa – Brown and boat-shaped
- Adult – Small buff coloured. Forewings are uniformly silvery green.
Management
- ETL: 10% infested shoots / squares / bolls
- Spraying any one of the following insecticides
-
Carbaryl 5% DP 20 kg/ha Phosalone 35% EC 1714ml/ha Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC 150 ml/ha Profenofos 50% EC 1500-2000 ml/ha Flubendiamide 39.35% SC 100-125 ml/ha Triazophos 40% EC 1500-2000 ml/ha Indoxacarb 14.5% SC 500 ml/ha
Biological control:
- Bacillus thuringiensisserovarkurstaki (3a, 3b, 3c) 5%WP 750- 1000 g/ha.
Source-
- TamilNadu Agritech Portal.
