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

3. Slug caterpillar - Parasa lepida Cram. (Coehlididae: Lepidoptera)

Damage

• The caterpillar feeds on the leaves gregariously in the beginning, subsequently they disperse.
  
• It causes severe defoliation.
Bionomics

• The adult moth is stout with wing expanse of 4.0 cm and having green wings fringed with brown patches.
  
• The eggs are laid in batches of 10-15 on the under surface of leaves.
  
• The eggs are ovals flat scale- like in shape.
  
• The fecundity is on an average 167 eggs / female. The egg period is 7 days.
  
• The caterpillar is fleshy, slug-like with yellowish green body bearing a greenish blue stripe dorsally and yellowish green stripes laterally.
  
• The larval period is 5-6 weeks undergoes seven instars.
  
• It pupates in a hard shield - like greyish cocoon on the tree trunks for 4-5 weeks.