Insect Pests of Vegetable, Tuber and Spice Crops

Turmeric

1. Castor capsule borer, Dichocrocis punctiferalis (Pyralidae: Lepidoptera)

Damage

• The caterpillars enter into the aerial stem killing the central shoot
• Results in ‘dead heart’.

The life cycle and management has been discussed under insect pests of cardamom.

2. Bihar hairy caterpillar, Spilarctia (Spilosoma) obliqua (Arctiidae: Lepidoptera)

Damage

• This pest damages the turmeric plants extensively in Bihar and Bangal states.
• Damage is caused by the caterpillars
• First two stages the tiny caterpillars feed gregariously
• Older larvae disperse widely in search of food.

For identification and life cycle see insect pests of beans

Management:

• Young caterpillars can be controlled by spraying the crop with malathion (0.05%)
• Moths can be trapped in artificial light and killed
• Young gregarious caterpillars can be collected and killed manually in kerosinized water.

Minor pests of turmeric

• Coccids: Aspidiotus hartii (Diaspidae: Hemiptera)
• A. cucumae (Diaspidae: Hemiptera)
• Leaf thrips: Anaphothrips rudanensis (Thripidae: Thysanoptera)
• Asprothrips indicus (Thripidae: Thysanoptera)
• Panchaetothrips indicus (Thripidae: Thysanoptera)
• Skipper butterfly, Udaspes folus (Hespiridae : Lepidoptera)
• Chrysmellid beetle, Lema pracusta (Chrysomelidae : Coleoptera
• Banana lacewing bug, Stephanitis typica (Tingidae: Hemptera)