Insect Pests of Vegetable, Ornamental and Spice Crops (2+1)

Brinjal stem borer

2. Brinjal stem borer, Euzophera perticella (Phycitidae: Lepidoptera)

Distribution: All over the Indian subcontinent.

Host range: Brinjal, potato, chillies, tomato, etc.

Damage:

• Damage is caused by the caterpillars
• Feed inside the stem
• Bore in to the stem and move down ward
• The attacked plants wither and wilt, growth remains stunted and bear less fruits
• Infestation is generally seen in the late stage of the crop.

Identification:

• The eggs are cream coloured, scale like
• Full grown caterpillars are 16-18 mm in length and light brown in colour.
• Pupae are dark brown.
• Moths are medium sized, fore wings are pale rufous with distinct dentate vertical black lines
• Hind wings are whitish in colour.
• Wing expanse is 26 and 32 mm in male and female of, respectively.

Life cycle:

• A single female may lay 104-363 eggs
• Adult longevity is about 7 days.
• The incubation period is 3-10 days.
• The larvae become full fed in 26-58 days
• Five larval stages.
• Pupal period is 6-8 days
• Total life cycle is completed in 35-76 days
• 5-6 overlapping generations in a year.

Salient features:

• The insect is active from March to October
• Hibernates as larva in the stems of old plants from November to beginning of March
• Eggs are laid singly or in batches on tender leaves, petioles and branches
• They pupate inside the feeding galleries or in crackers and crevices in soil after making silken cocoons.

Management:

• Control measures suggested for brinjal shoot and fruit borer are effective against this pest.
• Check the infestation at the initials stage by uprooting and destroying the infested plants.
• Ratoon crop should be avoided.
• Parasitoids like Pristomerus testaceous and P. euzopherae are active in nature.