Symptom of damage

• Drying and drooping of terminal shoots during pre-flowering stage
• Shedding of squares and young bolls
• Flaring up of bracts during square and young boll formation stage
• Holes on bolls and rotting of bolls

Identification Characters and Biology 

• Destructive stage: Larva

• E. vitella: Larva: Brownish with white streaks dorsally and pale yellow ventrally, without finger shaped processes. Adult: Small buff coloured and forewings are pea green with a wedge shaped white band running from base to out margin.

Economic threshold level: ETL: 10% infested shoots / squares / bolls.

Identification of the pest: E. insulana

• Larva: Brown with dorsum showing a white median longitudinal streak. The last two thoracic segments and all the abdominal segments have two pairs of fleshy tubercles (finger shaped processes) one dorsal and the other lateral. Pupa: brown and boat shaped. Adults: Small buff coloured. Forewings are uniformly silvery green.
• Eggs are laid singly on young shoots and further on peduncles and bracteoles or squares (flower buds) and young bolls as they are formed. Egg period: 2-3 days, larval period: 10-12 days; Pupal period: 7-10 days and adult longevity: 7-10 days.

Integrated Management

• Collection and removal infested squares and flowers.
• Alternate crops should be removed.
• Application of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki 5% WP300-400g / acre or
• Spray any one of the following insecticides viz.,
• Flubendiamide 39.35%SC40-50 ml/acre or Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC 60 ml/acre or
• Indoxacarb 14.5%SC 200ml/acre or Diflubenzuron 25%WP 120-140g/acre or Fipronil 5% SC 800ml/acre or Spinetoram 11.7 % SC @ 168-188 ml/acre.