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

3. Slug caterpillar - Parasa lepida (Cochlididae: Lepidoptera)

Damage

• Larva feeds on leaves voraceously leaving only the midrib and veins results in severe defoliation.
Bionomics

• Adult moth is green with brown band at the base of each fore wings.
• Eggs are laid in groups and covered with hairs on the leaves.
• Egg period is 4-5 days. Larva is stout, slug like ventrally flat, greenish body with white lines and four rows of spiny scoli tipped red or black. Larval period is 40-45 days.
• It pupates in plant as cocoons covered with irritating spines and hairs.