Insect Pests of Vegetable, Tuber and Spice Crops

Cabbage Semilooper

4. Cabbage semilooper, Thysanoplusia orichalcea (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)

Distribution: North-Western India

Host range: Cabbage, cauliflower and other winter vegetables

Nature of damage:
Larvae cause the damage by biting round holes into the leaves

Identification:

• Larvae: plump and pale green having three pairs of prolegs and are generally found mixed with the caterpillars of P. brassicae
• Adults: light brown with a golden patch on each fore wing and measures about 42 mm across the wings.

Life cycle:

• The pest is active from March to October.
• Moths lay eggs on the leaves
• Larvae feed individually biting holes of varying size depending on the stage of development.
• Pupate in plant debris.
• Moths are very active at dusk

Management:

Same as recommended for Pieris brassicae