2.  Ber fruit borer: Meridarches scyrodes (Carposinidae: Lepidoptera)

Distribution and status: Countrywide distribution
Host range: Ber

Damage symptoms

I and II instar yellow larvae feed superficially on the fruit while  red third – fifth instar larvae bore deep into the fruit feeding on pulp and accumulate faecal frass

Bionomics

Adult lays eggs flowers and tender fruits. Adult is small dark brown moth and larva reddish in colour. Fecundity of adult female 14 eggs.   Egg, larval and pupal stages are 4-5, 14-18 and 8-9 days respectively. Adult longevity 3-5 days.

Management

• Collect and destroy the damaged fruits.
• Rake the soil periodically
• Apply chlorpyriphos 1.5 D at 40 kg per ha around the trees before the fruits attain marble stage.  
• Spray malathion 1.0 L or dimethoate 750 ml L at the time of fruit set, two rounds at 15 days/interval.