The Gazetteers Department

Of Jowar : Jowar stem borer (chilo zonellus swinh) : — The host plants of this pest are jowar, maize and grasses. Creamy white eggs are laid on leaves in clusters which hatch in six days. Young caterpillars bore into the steins and remain there for three to four weeks, after which the full grown caterpillars pupate in situ. The pupal period is 7 to 10 days and the total period of the life cycle is 5 to 6 weeks. The pest hibernates as a larvae in stubbles. There are about four generations in a year. Summer jowar is frequently found heavily infested by this pest.

The caterpillars are dirty white with many spots on the body and with a brown head. The full grown caterpillar measures about �" to �" in length. The moths are straw-coloured with fore-wings pale yellowish grey having minute dots on the apical margin and white hind wings. Caterpillars bore inside the stems causing thereby drying of the central shoots called "dead hearts", which causes reddening of stems. As the pest is an internal feeder only, preventive and mechanical measures are found practical and economical and are detailed below:

(i) The affected plants should be pulled out along with the caterpillars inside and destroyed promptly.

(ii) After harvest of the crop, stubbles should be collected and burnt to destroy the hibernating larvae.

(iii) The fodder to be fed to cattle should be cut into small pieces and stored.

Jowar stem fly : (atherigona indica) : This is another pest, the host plants of which are jowar and other millets.

The eggs are laid on stems or tender seedlings and they hatch in 2 to 3 days. The maggots bore into the stems of young plants and feed inside the stem for about a week. Full grown maggots pupate inside the infested stems of plants. The pupal period lasts about a week. The pest is occasionally serious in early stages of the crop.

Its maggots are legless, tapering anteriorly and are found feeding inside the stems of young plants. The adults are similar to houseflies but are very much smaller in size and on their dorsal side, there are a few dark spots. The maggots bore inside the stem and cause dead hearts and are generally more common in a very young crop.

As the pest is an internal feeder, mechanical methods though laborious have been found to be more useful and consist of (i) removing the affected seedlings and destroying the larvae and (ii) increasing seed rate to make up the loss. For hybrid varieties which are more susceptible to the attack of this pest, the chemical control measures recommended are (i) soil application of 10 percent phorate granules at the rate of 7 kg. per acre prior to sowing, and (ii) if phorate is not available, 4 sprays with 0.05 per cent endrin (2.5 ml. of endrin, 20 per cent E. C. in 1 litre of water) at 10 days interval starting from 7 days after germination.

Flea beetle: (chaetochnema idica) ; The beetles are black and small about 1/10" long, oblong and with the hind pair of legs thickened by means of which they are able to jump about. Some species may be brownish in colour. Jowar is sometimes seriously damaged by this pest. The beetles feed generally on the middle part of the leaf-blade and not on the border as is the case with caterpillars and grasshoppers. When the Ilea beetles feed on the leaf, there result numerous small holes on its surface. As regards controlling measures, dusting 10 BHC at the rate of 8 to 10 kg. per acre gives satisfactory control of the pest. Treatment with 0.05 per cent aldrin or 0.15 malathion would also prove to be effective.

Army worms : (cirphis unipuncta).—The caterpillars feed on leaves mostly at night, while during the day they remain hidden in the whorl or in the clods underground. They migrate from one field to another when their food is exhausted and hence the pest is called "army worms".

Round, greenish white eggs are laid on central leaves in two parallel rows in batches which hatch in a week. In bad cases of attack they completely defoliate the plants as they have a habit of feeding together. Their larval period is from 21 to 28 days. Full grown caterpillars, descend to the ground for pupation. Their pupal period lasts from 8 to 10 days. The total period of their life cycle is five to six weeks. The pest is active from June to November. Kharif crops suffer more from it than rabi crops. There may be a number of generations during a season, after which the insects hibernate in the pupal stage in soil. The pest does not become abundant every year and it is observed that when a long dry spell follows a good start of monsoon, the pest assumes epidemic form. It shows a tendency to subside if heavy showers occur thereafter.

Full grown caterpillars are 1" to 1�" long, smooth bodied, greenish coloured with broad light coloured strips running along its length on either side of the body. They are found in the central whorl of plants, or may remain under stubbles around the plants in soil. The moths are of two types, one is brownish red with prominent spots on the anterior margin of the wings. The other type of moth is dusky brown with a dark median line and less prominent spots on the apical margin of the wings. A pest called swarming caterpillar which is a little darker and with longitudinal bands is known to infest jowar. Their habits and control measures for them are identical.

The pest can be controlled by the following methods: (1) Collection of eggs masses and their destruction. (2) If the attack is localised, caterpillars may be collected by employing labour and destroyed. (3) Deep ploughing of the infested fields after the harvest of the crop to expose the hibernating pupae to the action of weathering agencies and birds. (4) Dusting with 10 kg. of 10 per cent BHC or spraying 0.2 per cent BHC (� kg. of 50 per cent BHC (WP) in 120 litres of water). (5) Dusting with 5 per cent aldrin or 3 per cent heptachlor at the rate of 10 kg. per acre also gives effective control of the pest.

Hoppers and aphids : (peregrintis maidls, Ashm. and rhopolosipham Maidis, F. and aphis sacchari Zhent) : Delpha-cids (peregrinus maidis, Ashm.) and aphids are responsible for causing the sugary secretion on jowar; the symptoms are locally known as 'chikta'. It is quite severe especially on rabi jowar. Delphacids are wedge shaped, greenish brown in colour with blackish spots on wings. Adult is oblong and dark brown or yellowish green in colour having two projections called cornicles on the dorsal side of the abdomen. It is mostly found in the wingless stage.

Sugary secretion is seen on the leaves of the plant and also in the whorl and ultimately the growing shoots of the plant is damaged and further growth is checked. Spraying with 0.02 per cent diazinon, thiometon, endrin or dusting with 5-10 per cent BHC dust lbs. per acre helps in reducing the intensity of infestation of these pests.

Of Wheat -.Pink borer: (Sesamia inferens. Wlk): The pest causes damage to wheat and maize. Caterpillar is flesh coloured, smooth with dark spots on the body. Each spot bears a hair. Full grown caterpillars measure about 2.5 cm. in length. Moths are small, with straw coloured forewings with a marginal dark hue and its hind wings are white. Creamy white eggs are laid in clusters, inside the leaf sheath in rows of two or three. They hatch in 4 to 9 days. The larvae have the migratory habit and become full grown in 3-4 weeks. Pupation lakes place inside the bored stem. The adults emerge out after 5 to 12 days. Total life cycle is completed in about 6 to 7 weeks.

The young larva hatching from the egg bores into the stem causing the death of the central shoot commonly known as 'dead heart.' The caterpillars migrate from one plant to another injuring many plants in their life As the pest is an internal feeder, preventive measures like removal of dead hearts and destruction of the larvae, removal of stubbles after the harvest of the crop and their destruction may help to minimise the pest infestation.

Of Gram: Gram pod borer (heliothis armigera).- The caterpillars feed on tender foliage and young pods. They make holes in the pods and eat the developing seeds by inserting the anterior half portion of their body inside the pods. Gram, cotton, tomato, peas, tobacco, ganja, safflower, etc., are the principal host plants of this pest.

The moths are stout, light yellowish brown with a wing expanse of 3.7 cm. The forewings are pale brown with some black dots and the hind wings are lighter in colour with smoky dark margins. The caterpillars are greenish with darker broken grey lines along the sides of the body. They are 3.7 to 5 cm. in length when full-grown. Shining greenish yellow eggs, spherical in shape are laid singly on the tender parts of plants and they hatch in about 6 or 7 days. On hatching the caterpillars start feeding on lender leaves and shoots and as they grow, they bore into the pods and eat the developing grains inside. They become full-grown in 14 to 15 days and descend to the ground and pupate in earthen cocoons in the soil near the plants. Their pupal period lasts from one week to a month The pest is active from November to March.

Hand picking of the caterpillars during initial stages of attack would help in reducing the future infestation. Ploughing the field after the harvest of crop would destroy the pupae. The pest can be effectively controlled by spraying the crop with 0.1 per cent carbaryl or 0.06 per cent isobenzan or 0.2 per cent DDT or 0.03 per cent aldrin or endrin or heptachlor or 0.12 per cent phospha-midon at the rate of 250 litres per acre.

Of Tur : Tur pod cater pillar. This is the pest of tur and wal. The caterpillats bore into green pods and feed on the developing seeds-

The moths are slender, not more than 12 mm. long and are grey with long, narrow wings. The front wings are divided into two pans and the hind wings are cut into three parts and provided with a fringe like border. The full grown caterpillars are about 12 mm. long, greenish-brown in colour and are fringed with short hair and spines. Minute eggs are laid singly on the tender shoots, leaves, flowers or pods and they hatch in about 5 days. On hatching, the caterpillars first scrape the surface of pods and gradually cut holes and thrust their heads into pods and feed on seeds and become full-grown in about four weeks time. They pupate on the pod surface or even in the burrows of infested pods. Their pupal period lasts for two weeks. The pupae are also fringed with short hair and spines and are often liable to he mistaken for larvae. The total period of their life-cycle is about seven weeks.

The various preventive measures include collection of the infested pods and their destruction during early stages of attack and avoiding leguminous crops consecutively in the same field. Spraying the crop with 0.2 per cent DDT at 250 liters per acre or dusting with 1 per cent telodrin or 1 per cent endrin or 5 per cent BHC or 3 per cent heptachlor or 10 per cent carbaryl or 4 per cent malathion or 1.5 per cent dieldrin or 5 per cent DDT or 3 per cent morphothion or 2 per cent parathion at 9 kg. per acre have also proved effective.

Tur pod fly (argomyza obtusa) : The pest is widely distributed throughout the region Young larvae after hatching from the eggs enter soft seeds and feed on them. At first the damage resembles that of leaf miners as their galleries run just under the epidermis of seed. Later they burrow deep down resulting in decaying of the grains which become unfit for either consumption or germination. As high as 80 per cent of the pods and 63 per cent of the grains may be damaged. In advance cases of damage, the pods present a twisted appearance.

Freshly laid egg is white, broad and rounded at the posterior and narrowed, anteriorly into a curved elongated hollow process. It measures 0.66 x 0.15 mm. Newly hatched larva is white with dark brown mouthparts. It measures 0.61 mm. X 0.12 mm. A fine brownish strip runs along the entire mid-dorsal line of body Full grown larva is creamy white measuring 3.5 mm. to 4 mm. in length and 1.25 mm. to 1.5 mm. in breadth. Pupae measures 2.5 mm. x 1.25 mm. Adult flies are glossy black with pubescent eyes and strong legs with femur slightly thickened. Copulation starts within 24 hours after emergence and egg laying takes place soon after. Life of adult is short and oviposition is limited to 3 to 4 days. A female lays on an average 38 eggs with a maximum of 79. It avoids very young as well as mature pods for oviposition. It pierces her ovipositor in pericarp and deposits a single egg. When a pod is opened the eggs appear like needles projecting from the wall of the pod. Larval period is about 6 days but during winter it may be as much as 21 days. Pupal stage lasts from 8 days to 30 days. Thus it requires about 22 to 23 days to complete one generation.

The pest can be controlled by removing affected pods of first brood during winter. The crop may be treated with 0.2 per cent DDT or 0.02 per cent endrin spray at the rate of 300 litres per acre to kill the adult flies.

Tur pod bug. (Clavigralla gibbosa) : The eggs are laid in rows. On hatching, the nymphs start sucking the juice from pods and pass through five moults to reach the adult stage. The adult bugs are about 12 mm. long, are greenish brown in colour, have a spined pronotum and a femur swollen at the apical end.

Both the nymphs and adults suck the sap from pods and cause the infested pods to shrivel. The pest, however, is rarely serious. Preventive measures are the same as those in the case of the pod caterpillar. 5 per cent BHC powder, if dusted at the rate ot 8 kg. per acre, may control the pest.

Of Groundnut: Groundnut aphids (aphis craccivora, Koch.):—

They are small, black, soft bodied insects found on the lower side of leaves. Both the winged and wingless forms reproduce viviparously and parthe-nogenetically. On an average a single apterous and alate female produces 54 and 47 young ones in 8 to 17 and 14 to 18 days respectively. The nymphal period lasts for 3 to 8 days during which the nymphs undergo four moults.

It is a very important pest as it reduces the vitality and yield of plants by sucking the sap and also acts as the vector- of a serious virus disease commonly known as 'Rosette' of groundnut. Dusting the infested crop with 10 per cent BHC at 15 to 20 lb. per acre is recommended against the pest. It is necessary to mix equal quantity of sulphur which besides, preventing the incidence of mites keeps 'tikka' disease under check. Spraying the infested crop) with 0.05 per cent malathion, 0.02 thiometon, 0.03 per cent formothion, 0.1 per cent carbaryl, plus sulphur, will protect the crop.

Of sesamum: Sesamum gall fly (aspondylia sesami) : It is a specific pest of sesamum and is not yet observed on oilier crops. The maggots are found inside the young flower buds and the irritation causes gall formation and interferes with the process of pod formation. Consequently, the buds wither without healing fruit. The eggs are laid on flowers and the maggots feed on the contents of the flower and then develop into pupae. They emerge as adults which resemble mosquitoes.

In order to control this pest no stray plants should be allowed to grow in the off season as to avoid giving rise to conditions favourable to the bleeding of this pest and all infested buds should be scrupulously clipped and destroyed.

Sphinx moth (acherontia styx) :—The eggs are laid singly on leaves. The larval period is about two months. Pupation, takes place in the soil and the pupal period lasts about a month and a half. The moth is large with a dark grey, bluish thorax. The abdomen is yellow with black bands. The forewings are dark brown. Tire full-fed larva is 90 mm. long and stout, with a rough skin and with an anal born at the abdominal end. It is light greenish in colour and has eight yellow stripes on its body-

The caterpillar feeds extensively on leaves. Following are the control measures:— (1) As the caterpillar is very large, hand picking can be practised with success. (2) Dusting with 5 per cent BHC may also be effective.

Of Chilli : Thrips : (anaphothrips dorsalis).- It is a polyphagous species recorded on cotton, mango, tondli, bottlegourd, guava, bhendi, brinjal, onion, etc.

The adults are minute delicate insects, less than 1 mm. long and are light yellow in colour. Their wings are fringed with hair. The younger stages are still more minute but wingless. Adult female lays fertilized or unfertilized eggs inside the leaf tissues, generally on the lower side of leaf. A female can lay 50 to 60 eggs at the rate of 4 to 6 per day. Average incubation, larval, prepupal and pupal periods have been observed to be 8 to 9; 4 to 6 and 2 to 3 days respectively. Prepupal and pupal stages are generally found in soil at a depth of 1" to 2". The pest is more active during later part of monsoon, especially during a dry spell.

These insects have mouth parts suited for scraping the epidermis of leaves and sucking the oozing sap. The plant tissues damaged by insects initially become whitish but later turn brown and ultimately dry. As a result of feeding leaves curl and become small; such symptoms are locally known as 'murda' or 'bokadya'. The pest can be effectively controlled by spraying with 0.2 per cent DDT. So also, 0.02, per cent endrin, telodrin, methyl demeton, diazinon, dieldrin thiometos, endos-ulfan, isobenzan, phosphamidon or lebaycid or 0.05 per cent malathion or dimcthoate, 0.1 per cent carbaryl have also been found to be quite promising. Addition of sulphur to chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides in equal proportion would help in controlling mites also. Dusting with one per cent endrin plus sulphur or 10 per cent DDT + sulphur at the rate of 9 kg. per acre also is equally effective. Repeated applications may be given at 15 days interval. A period of two to three weeks should be allowed to lapse before the crop is marketed for consumption.

Of Cotton : Bollworms : There are three types of bollworms: (a) spotted bollworms, (b) pink bollworms and (c) heliothis sp. Eggs are laid singly on leaves, flower buds, bracts, bolls, etc. They hatch within 4 to 6 days. Larval period in case of spotted bollworms is 9 to 16 days depending upon the climatic conditions and pupation takes place inside the silken cocoons, outside the bolls, in which stage it remains for 8 to 14 days. The total period of life-cycle is about 22 to 35 days. The pest is active from July to November. In case of pink bollworms, the caterpillars on hatching feed on developing flowers, seed or lint. The larval period usually is about 3 to 4 weeks but some of them remain dormant in the seeds for a pretty long time, for the perpetuation of the species. Pupation generally takes place inside the bolls or in the soil in silken cocoons from which moth emerges after about 10 days. The pest is active from July to December while the winter season is passed in the larval stage. Female of heliothis lays spherical greenish yellow eggs on tender parts of the plant. The eggs hatch in about 6 to 7 days and newly hatched larvae start feeding on leaves and growing shoots. In case of severe infestation, they also bore and feed on bolls. Their larval period lasts for about two weeks and then full-grown larvae descend into the soil where they pupate in earthen cocoons. Their pupal period is 1 to 4 weeks.

In case of spotted bollworms, the caterpillars bore into the growing shoots of the plants in the initial stage of the crop. Later on when flower buds appear, larvae bore into them and then enter in the bolls by making holes which are plugged with excreta. The infested buds and bolls are shed but if they remain on the plant they open prematurely; consequently lint from such bolls fetches low price. Unlike the spotted bollworms, the caterpillars of the pink bollworms never attack the' shoots. They feed inside the bolls and make them drop down. The pest is more harmful to American cotton varieties than Indian ones. As the caterpillars bore the bolls, the entrance holes get closed and it becomes difficult to spot out the affected bolls until such bolls. drop down, or open prematurely Newly hatched larvae of heliothis initially feed on the leaves and enter into the growing shoot and this internal feeding causes the drying of the growing shoots. In case of heavy infestation, the carerpillars also feed on the bolls which leads to heavy damage of cotton.

Bollworms being internal feeders are extremely difficult to control In order to keep their incidence under cheek both; preventive and curative measures are necessary. The preventive measures include removal and destruction of cotton stalks shed bolls and other plant debris after the last picking, avoid nig growing of bhendi and other malvaceous crops during oil season which serve as alternate hosts of the pest and fumigation of seeds with carbon-di-sulphide at 1 oz. per 15 cft. space or heating the seeds to 145^� F to kill the hibernating larvae of pink bollworms. For uprooting the cotton stalks plant pullers can be used. On the other hand, curative measures consist of mechanical and chemical measures. Results of the insecticidal trials conducted in recent years reveal that six sprays with 0.03 per cent to 0.04 per cent endrin + sulphur (1:1) or 0.2 per cent carbaryl + sulphur mixture (1:1) (450 e. cs. to 600 c. cs. of 20 per cent endrin E. C. 450 or 600 gins, of wettable sulphur in 300 litres of water or 1 kg. of 50 per cent carbaryl+1 kg. of wettable sulphur in 300 litres of water) at fortnightly interval starting from 8 to 10 weeks after sowing are the most effective in reducing the pest incidence on irrigated cotton and give increased yields. In case of unirrigated cotton, three dustings with 10 per cent carbaryl at 15 days interval starting from 8 weeks alter sowing are found unite useful.

Red cotton bug : (dysdercus cingulatus Fabr); It is a minor pest which affects cotton and Deecan hemp. The female lays rounded bright yellow eggs in a mass on the soil near the plant. Eggs hatch in six to seven days. Nymphs, which are bright red, pass through six instars in 30 to 35 days before reaching the adult stages Total period of life cycle is about six to eight weeks, but during winter the pest hibernates in the adult stages. The pest is active from October to February. The adult is about half an inch long. Its general colour is bright red. with eyes, scutel lum and antenna coloured black. A series of white transverse bands are present on the ventral side of their abdomen The nymphs resemble the adults in colour but are wingless.

The adults and nymphs suck plant sap and greatly impair the vilality of the plant. In addition they also feed on the seeds and lower their oil content. Due to the excreta of these insects, the lint gets spoiled. The infested seeds are useless for sowings. The pest is controlled by two ways: (a) adults and nymphs can be collected in large number by shaking in a tray containing kerosene oil and water and (b) the crop is dusted thoroughly with a mixture of 10 per cent BHC+10 per cent DDT.

Jassids (empoasca devastens Dist.):— Besides cotton, the pest causes damages to bhendi, brinjal, potato, etc. About 30 eggs are laid at a time by the adult female in the tissue of the leaf vein. The eggs hatch in 4 to 11 days. The nymphal stage remains from 7 to 21 days during which the nymphs moult five times. The entire life cycle is completed in two to four weeks. The pest is particularly active during the monsoon season.' The adult is wedge-shaped about 2 mm. long and pale green in colour. The front wings have a black spot on their posterior parts. The nymphs are wingless and are found in large numbers on the lower surfaces of leaves. They walk diagonally.

Both the nymphs and adults suck the cell sap from leaves as a result of which the leaf margins turn yellowish and in case of excessive infestation reddening and drying up of leaves followed by stunted growth are seen. Use of 5 per cent DDT dust at 8 to 10 kg. per acre in case of Asiatic cotton varieties and 5 per cent DDT + sulphur dust mixture in case of American cotton varieties was recommended in the past. In recent years treatments with 0.02 per cent endrin + sulphur (1:1) (300 c. cs. of 20 per cent E. C. endrin in 300 litres of water+ 300 gm. of wettable sulphur) and phosphamidon, methyl demeton, thiome-ton. dimethoate, parathion and diazinon at 0.02 per cent con centration have also been found to be promising against the pest.

Aphids (aphis gossypu, Glover) :—This pest also damages the same crops noted above. The alate and apterous forms reproduce parthenogenetically and viviparously. A single apterous female gives rise to 8 to 22 young ones per day. They pass through four moults before reaching the adult stage. The duration of their life-cycle is 7 to 9 days. The adult is oblong, about 1 mm. long, dark yellowish green in colour and has two projections called cornicles on the dorsal side of the abdomen; it is mostly found in the wingless stage.

The nymphs and adults suck the cell sap from leaves due to which the leaves turn yellowish and dry. Following measures are adopted in controlling this pest: (1) Spraying with nicotine sulphate at the rate of 1 lb. in 80 gallons of water with 5 lbs. of soap. (2) Spraying with pyrethrum extract in the proportion of one part in 1,000 parts of water. Nearly 80 to 100 gallons of spray are required per acre in each case, 2 ozs. to 4 ozs. of endrin per acre or 0.01 per cent to 0.02 per cent parathion are also effective against cotton aphids. Application of insecticides like thiometon, phosphamidon. endrin + sulphur, diazinon or menazon at 0.02 per cent, dimethoate at 0.03 per cent or malathion at 0.05 per cent (200 Ccs. of 35 per cent dimethoate or 250 Ccs. of 50 per cent malathion in 250 litres of water) concentration have been also observed quite effective.

Mites (eriophes gossypii, Bank): It is a polyphagous species. However, castor, bhendi and cotton are the important hosts of this pest.

Female lays about 10 to 100 eggs singly on leaves which hatch in 4 to 7 days. Nymphal stage lasts for 6 to 10 days. Total life-cycle is completed in 3 to 4 weeks. On an average adults live for 10 to 30 days. Eggs are creamy, spherical and semi-translucent, larva is flesh coloured with three pairs of legs. II undergoes 3 moults before becoming adult. Adults are minute size creatures with an oval body and four pairs of legs. They are usually found on the lower surface of leaves.

The nymphs and adults usually feed on the lower surface of leaves; as a result they become silvery white and ultimately dry. In case of severe infestation complete defoliation of plants is caused. Spraying with 0.05 per cent aramite, 0.03 per cent di-chlorobenzilate (akar), 0.02 parathion or 0.2 per cent sulphur would effectively control the pest.

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