Cultural management

  • Dig out and destroy the pupae from the field bunds and shady spots prior to summer rains.
  • Set up 3 to 4 light traps and bonfires immediately after receipt of rains, after sowing in the rainfed season to attract and kill the moths and also to know brood emergence.
  • Collect and destroy gregarious, early instar larvae on lace-like leaves of intercrops such as redgram and cowpea.
  • Collect and destroy egg masses in the cropped area.
  • Avoid migration of larvae by digging a trench 30 cm deep and 25 cm wide with perpendicular sides around the infested fields.
  • Poison baiting for late instars with rice bran 10 kg + jaggery 1 kg + quinalphos 1 litre or methomyl 350 ml + water.
  • Natural enemies include a predatory pentatomid bug attacking larvae and larval parasites, Apanteles flavipes, A. creatonoti (Braconidae), Exorista civiloides, Sturnia inconspicuella (Tachinidae)