Insect Pests of Fruits, Plantation, Medicinal & Aromatic Crops

1. Hairy caterpillar

1.Hairy caterpillar Metanastria hyrtaca Cram. ( Lasiocampidae : Lepidoptera )

Damage

• The hairy caterpillar feeds on leaves causing defoliation.
Bionomics

• The adult is stout grayish brown moth exhibiting sexual dimorphism.
  
• Male moth has pectinate antenna and chocolate brown patch in the middle of fore wings.
  
• Female moth is bigger in size with longer and broader wings having wavy transverse bands.
  
• The larva is nocturnal, cylindrical grayish brown, stout and hairy.
Management

• Kill the aggregating larvae on the bark using a torch of fire or with a bucketful of cowdung slurry during the day time in households.
• Spray fish oil rosin soap to kill the larva because of asphyxiation.
• Expose burning torches against hairy caterpillars which are on trunks.
• Spray chlorpyriphos 20 EC 0.04% or Dimethoate 0.03 % or malathion 50 EC 0.1% or phosalone 35 EC 0.07% or carbaryl 50 WP 0.1%.