Insect Pests of Fruit, Plantation, Medicinal & Aromatic Crops (2+1)

3. Leaf roller

3. Leaf roller- Psorostichia ( = Tonica ) zizyphi Staint. (Oecophoridae: Lepidoptera)

Damage

• The larva webs together and folds the leaves.
• It feeds from within the leaf roll on the epidermis of leaves.
• The infestation resulted in rolling and crinkling of leaves.
Bionomics

• The adult moth is small brown.
• The female moth lays eggs singly or in group along the mid ribs of leaves.
• A female can lays up to 404 eggs in her life span.
• The egg, larval and pupal period are 3-5, 9-11 and 5-10 days respectively.
• It pupates in leaf folds.
• The total life cycle of the pest is completed in 20-31 days.
Management

• Collect and destroy damaged leaf folds along with larvae and pupae.
• Encourage activity of Brachymeria euploeae and Apanteles sp.
• Spray carbaryl 10.1% or dimethoate 0.03 % or NSKE 5%.