Leaf caterpillar and Spinach beetle
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Leaf caterpillar and Spinach beetle
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3. Leaf caterpillar, Eretmocera impactella (Heliodinidae: Lepidoptera)
- Distribution: Distributed in the Indian subcontinent
- Hosts: It is a sporadic pest of amaranthus
Damage
- Caterpillars web the leaves and feed inside
Identification
- Full grown caterpillars are 9-12 mm long, cylindrical, brownish yellow to brownish grey in colour
- Pupae are about 6 mm long and uniformly brown in colour
- Moths have cupreous head and thorax and yellow abdomen with second, third and terminal segments cupreous in colour
- Fore wings are also cupreous with yellow spots, hind wings are pale in colour.
- Wing expanse is 14-18 mm.
Life cycle
- Eggs are laid on leaves preferably on top shoots
- Pupation takes place in white silken cocoons attached to the leaves
- Life cycle is completed in 3-4 weeks.
Control:
- Same as described under Hymenia recurvalis
Minor pests of Amaranthus
Leaf eating caterpillars:
- Hymenia fascialis
- Dichocrocis punctiferalis
- H. perseptalis
- Psara basalis
- Helicoverpa armigera
- Plusia eriosoma
- Spodoptera spp
Aphids:
- Ground nut aphid, Aphis craccivora
- Mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi
- Green peach aphid, Myzus persicae
Mealy bug:
Scales:
Thrips: Aeolathrips collaris
- A. fulvicollis
- Frankliniella intonsa
- Leaf eating beetle, Aspidomorpha exilis
- Leaf twisting weevil, Apoderus transque baricus
INSECT PESTS OF SPINACH
1. Spinach blue beetle, Altica caerulescens (Alticidae: Coleoptera)
- Hosts: Spinach, cabbage, strawberry and plums
Damage
- Freshly emerged grubs scrap and feed on chlorophyll containing tissues
- Later grubs mine inside the leaves and feed on the mesophyll tissue
- Adults nibble the leaf margins causing very little damage.
Identification
- Grubs are 5-10 mm long, dark brown in colour
- Pupae are 12-15 mm long and brown in colour when freshly formed and turns blackish brown later on
- Adults are 5-7 mm long steel blue in colour
Management
- Spray carbaryl @ 0.1% or malathion @ 0.05%
- Observe a waiting period of about 10 days
Minor pest
- Mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi
- Green peach aphid Myzus persicae
- Hyadaphis (Siphocoiryne) indobrassicae
- Leaf eating caterpillar, Hymenia recurvalis
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Last modified: Wednesday, 7 March 2012, 7:22 AM
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