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

1. Hairy caterpillar - Thiacidas postica Walker. (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)

Damage

• The hairy caterpillar feeds on leaves causing defoliation.
Bionomics

• The adult moth is greyish brown with black double lines on wings. The female moth lays eggs on the lower surface of leaves in batches. A single female can lay up to 318-708 eggs. The incubation period is 5-13 days. The larva is grey brown hairy caterpillar. The larval period is 16-55 days. It pupates in a cocoon for 7-39 days.
Management

• Hand pick egg masses and caterpillars and destroy.
• Use light trap at 1/ha to attract adults.
• Spray lambda cyhalothrin 5 % EC 0.5 ml/1 or malathion 50 EC 2 ml/1 or carbaryl 50WP 2 g/1.