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

3. Hairy caterpillar - Metanastna hyrtaca C, (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 cow dung 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%.