Exercise: INSECT PESTS OF CINNAMON


Exercise: INSECT PESTS OF CINNAMON
1. Cinnamon butterfly, Chilasia clytia (Papilionidae: Lepidoptera):
  • Freshly hatched larva is jet black is colour with white patches which later under goes various changes in colour pattern. The dossal side of adults moth is rich velvety brown, while the colour of ventral surface if body varies from soft pale brown to rich dark velvety brown while the colour of the ventral surface of body varies from soft pale brown to rich velvety brown.
  • Damage is caused by the larvae by feeding on the lamina of the freshly emerged leaves during early instars and by feeding voraciously on the tender leaves during later instars, leaving only the mid ribs with portion of veins. In case of severe infestation the growth of plant is adversely affected.
INSECT PESTS OF BLACK PEPPER

1. Polu beetle, Longitarsus nigripennis (Chrysomelidae : Coleoptera):
  • Polu beetle commonly known as flea beetle is small, shining and brownish black flea beetle with stout legs. The adult beetle lays eggs in small shallow depressions made on the rind of tender pepper berries. The eggs hatch into pale yellow grubs which in turn bore and feed on the contents of tender berries making them hollow. The external indication of infestation is the presence of dark, drying berries possessing characteristic circular hole in the midst of green healthy berries. A single grub can destroy 3-4 berries. Fully grown grubs drop to soil, construct oval shaped earthen cocoons and pupate in them.
2. Top shoot borer, Cydia (Laspeyresia) hemidoxa (Eucosmidae: Lepidoptera)
  • It is another important pest of pepper. The caterpillars of this tiny crimson and yellow coloured moth damage terminal shoots by boring into them. The incidence is more during August to December, when tender shoots are available. As the caterpillars bore into the shoots, the growing point is damaged; this results in drying of terminal portions of the vines. Pest takes about a month to complete its life cycle.
3. Thrips, Liothrips (Gynaikothrips) karnyi (Thripidae: Thysanoptera)
  • The marginal gale forming thrips, L. karnyi is a persistent pest in almost all the pepper growing areas of India. The thrips make marginal galls on leaves within which they live in colonies. Due to rasping and sap sucking by adults and nymphs, the leaf tissue become thick and under server infestation whole leaf presents crinkled or mall formed appearance. As a result of thrips feeding, hyperplasia or proliferation of parenchymatous cells sets in and finally leaves become brittle.
4. Scales
  • Lepidosaphes piperis (Coccidae: Hemiptera)
  • Mussel scale, Lecanium marsupiale
  • Hard scales, Aspidiotus destructor
    • Pinnaspis aspidistrae
    • P. marchali
    • Chionaspis voricosa
5. Mealy bugs, Ferrisia virgata
  • These scales and mealy bugs often cause considerable damage to pepper. The scale L. piperis appears as small dark grey, boat-shaped encrustations on stems and leaves of vines. They such the cell sap from plants and badly infested vines dry up gradually.
6. Gall midge, Cecidomyia malabrensis (Cecidomyiidae: Diptera)
  • The eggs are laid on the spikes. The maggots of this gall midge get embedded in the pulp of berries and at the attachment of berry to spike. Full grown maggots fall to the ground and pupate in soil. Infested berries increase in size in the beginning but appear stunted later. Swelling may be caused on tender stalks and shoots also.

Last modified: Tuesday, 19 June 2012, 5:49 AM