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

1. Stem Borer -Plocaederus ferrugineus Linn. (Cerambycidae: Coleoptera)

Bionomics


• It is a major pest of neem is South India.
  
• Cashew, moringa, silk cotton and citrus trees are alternate host plants.
  
• Adult is a medium – sized and dark brown longicorn beetle.
  
• Eggs are laid under loose bark of the stem and roots.
  
• They hatch in 4 to 6 days.
  
• Grubs bore into the bark in the early instar stages and into the wood in the late instar stages and make extensive tunnels within.
  
• Chewed up wood and excreta extrude out of the bore holes.
  
• Grub stage lasts for 6 to 7 months and grown up grub measures up to 7.5 cm.
  
• It bores down to the root, makes a calcareous pupal chamber and pupates for two months.
  
• Insect completes life cycle in a year.

Management


• Locate loose bark and bore holes, spike out grubs and kill.
• Cut and destroy infested branches along with eggs and grubs.
• After cleaning and pruning infested branches, swab the trunk with carbary 150 WP 4g/1 to avoid the oviposition of adults or swab and drench with chlorpyriphos 20 EC at 4.5 ml/1. Swab nearby alternate host trees also.
• Use light trap at 1 / ha to attract adult insects.