Stem borer or clear winged moth: Melittia eurytion
Symptoms of damage:
- Larva bores into the stem of snake gourd and produces galls
Identification of pest:
- Larva: White in colour
- Pupa: Pupation takes place in earthen cocoon in the soil
- Adult: Dark brown moth with transparent wings
Management:
- Collect and destroy the damaged plant parts with larvae
- Encourage activity of parasitoid: Apanteles spp.
- Spray any following insecticides
- malathion 50 EC @ 500 ml
- dimethoate 30 EC 500 ml
- methyl demeton 25 EC @ 500 ml/ ha
Source-
- TamilNadu Agritech Portal
