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

1. Looper

1. Looper - Biston suppressaria Guen. (Geometridae: Lepidoptera)

Damage

• The looper caterpillar causes severe defoliation
Bionomics

• The adult moth is greyish finely specked with black and yellow bands and spots along the other margins of wings.
• It lays eggs in groups of 200-600 on the trunk of shade trees and covered with buff coloured hairs.
• The egg period is 8-9 days.
• The larva is greyish brown resembling closely as that of tea twigs which become full grown in 24-36 days.
• It pupates in soil for 20-22 days.