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

2. White grub - Leucophollis coneophora Burm. (Mesolonthidae: Coleoptera )

Damage

• The grub feeds on roots causing yellowing of leaves, shedding of immature nuts and delayed flowering.
Bionomics

• The adult is cheshut coloured beetle.
  
• It lays eggs in soil a depths of 7.5-15 cm and they hatch in 20 days. The younger stage of grub feeds on grass roots and organic matter, the later stages feeding on coconut roots. The grub is white, fleshy, stout and 'C shaped. It pupates in the soil for about 25 days. The insect has an annual life cycle.





Management

• Collect and destroy the adults beetles attracted to trees like neem, Ailanthus and Acacia near coconut field on receipt of monsoon showers.
• Plant neem twigs with leaves in coconut gardens after first rain to attract and kill adults.
• Set up light trap or bonfire to attract the adults.
• Apply malathion 5% D 25 kg or endosulfan 4D 25 kg / hectare to the soil at the time of sowing.