Symptoms of damage:

• In early stage of crop growth larvae feed on leaves and shoot apices
• Later, the larvae shift to the developing capitula
• The symptoms are perforated leaves, perforated involucral bracts, partially or completely eaten capitula in the bud stage and bored developing capitula

Identification of the pest:

• Eggs:  Spherical in shape and creamy white in colour, laid singly
• Larva: Shows colour variation from greenish to brown. It has dark brown grey lines on the body with lateral white lines and also has dark and pale bands.
• Pupa: Brown in colour, occurs in soil, leaf, pod and crop debris
• Adult: Light pale brownish yellow stout moth.
• Forewings are olive green to pale brown with a dark brown circular spot in the centre.
• Hind wings are pale smoky white with a broad blackish outer margin

Management:

• Intercropping with non host crop like wheat or barley
• Avoid chickpea as intercrop
• Excessive application of nitrogen should be avoided
• Ha NPV can be applied at 250-300 larval equivalents/ha
• Conserve Campoletis chloridae, Enicospilus sp, etc