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

5. Hairy caterpillar - Metanastria hyrtaca Cram. (Lasiocampidae: Lepidoptera)

Damage

• The hairy caterpillar feeds on leaves causing defoliation.
Bionomics

• The adult is stout grayish brown moth exhibiting sexual dimorphism.
  
• Male moth has pectinate antenna and chocolate brown patch in the middle of fore wings.
  
• Female moth is bigger in size with longer and broader wings having wavy transverse bands.
  
• The larva is nocturnal, cylindrical grayish brown, stout and hairy.
Management

• Kill the aggregating larvae on the bark using a torch of fire or with a bucketful of cowdung slurry during the day time in households.
• Spray fish oil rosin soap to kill the larva because of asphyxiation.
• Spray Dimethoate 0.03 % or carbaryl 0.1 % or malathion 0.1%.