- Eggs are laid singly on ventral surface of leaves, shoots, flower buds and sometimes on fruits also. In young plants, the caterpillars bore into petioles and mid ribs of longer leaves and young tender shoots, resulting in dead heart i.e. drying and dropping of leaves and wilted drooping of the shoots. At the later stage, the caterpillars bore into flower buds and fruits. In fruits they enter from under the calyx, seal the hole with excreta leaving no visible sign of infestation and caterpillar feed inside. The damaged flower buds are shed without blossoming, whereas, fruits show circular exit holes.
- Eggs: The eggs are flattened elliptical in shape, 0.5mm in length and creamy white in colour.
- Larvae: Full grown caterpillars are 15-18 mm long and light pink in colour.
- Pupae: Pupation takes place on stems or fruits in grey colour tough cocoons. Pest over winters in the larval stage.
- Adults: Moths are medium sized with white wings. Fore wings have conspicuous black and brown patches and dots. Hind wings are opalescent with black dots along the margins. Wing span is 22-26 mm.
- Damage: Damage is caused by the caterpillars by feeding inside the stem. Newly emerged caterpillars bore in to the stem and move down ward by making a tunnel in side the stem. The attacked plants wither and wilt, growth remains stunted and fruits bearing capacity is also reduced. The infestation is generally seen in the late stage of the crop.
- Eggs: The eggs are cream coloured, scale like and are laid singly or in batches on tender leaves, petioles and branches.
- Larvae: Full grown caterpillars are 16-18 mm in length and light brown in colour.
- Pupae: Pupae are dark brown, pupation takes place inside the feeding galleries or in cracks and crevices in soil after making silken cocoons.
- Adults: Moths are medium sized, forewings are pale rufous with distinct dentate vertical black lines beyond middle of the wing and hind wings are whitish in colour. Wing expanse is 26 and 32 mm in male and female, respectively.
3. Brinjal lace wing bug, Urentius sentis and U. hystricellus (Tingidae: Hemiptera)
- Damage: Both adults and nymphs cause the damage by sucking the cell sap from leaves. Infested leaves show yellowish spots, which together with the black scale like excreta deposited by them impart a characteristic mottled appearance to the infested leaves. Young nymphs feed gregariously on the lower surface of the leaves. While sucking sap, both adult and nymphs also inject some toxic saliva.
- Eggs: Each female lays 35-44 shining white nipple shaped eggs singly in the tissue on the under side of the leaves.
- Nymphs: Nymphs are about 2 mm long, pale ochraceous in colour, stoutly built with prominent spines.
- Adults: Adults are about 3 mm long, straw coloured dorsally and dark brown to black ventrally. Females are oval in shape whereas males are more elongated. Pronotum and elytra are reticulated consisting of irregular thick lines forming a frame work of cells; coastal area is hyaline with strong spines on the outer margins. Hind wings are whitish and transparent.
4. Hadda beetles, Henosepilachna spp (Coccinellidae: Coleoptera):
- Described under the insect pests of tomato.
5. Egg plant leaf roller, Antoba (Eublemma) olivacea (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)
- Damage: Caterpillars fold leaves from tip down ward and feed within by scrapping the green matter as a result the folded leaves wither and dry. Caterpillars may also bore into green shoots and feed on inner tissues resulting in withering of entire plant.
- Larvae: Full grown caterpillars are about 20 mm long, stout, purple, brown in colour and ornamented with yellow spots and hairs.
- Adults: Moths are medium sized and ochreous white in colour, fore wings are slightly suffused with brown tinge and a large triangular olive green patch on the outer area, hind wings are white suffused with fuscous towards outer margin. Wing expanse is 22-26 mm. Pupation takes place within the folded leaves.
6. Leaf hoppers, Amrasca biguttula biguttula, Empoasca binotata, E. parathea, E. punjabensis (Cicadellidae: Hemiptera)
Identification:
- Details of these leaf hoppers have been discussed under insect pests of okra.
7. Aphids
- Two species of aphids, cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii) and peach green aphid (Myzus persicae) are commonly found on brinjal. Both these species suck the cell sap from leaves and tender apical shoots. The affected parts turn yellow, get deformed and dry away. Aphids also excrete honey dew on which sooty mould grows which interferes with the photosynthetic activity of the plant. The infested plants become weak, pale and stunted in growth and consequently bear small sized fruits.
- Nymphs of Aphis gossypii are greenish brown or yellowish in colour while adults are yellowish green to dark green in colour, little over 1mm in length and have a pair of siphunculi near the posterior side of the abdomen. Wings when present are transparent with black veins.
- Adults of M. persicae are usually green in colour but may be pale brown to pinkish, 1.5-2.5 mm long with long clave siphunculi.
|
Participants
