• Yellowing and drying of leaves of infested pseudostems.
• The presence of a bore-hole on the pseudostem through which frass is extruded and the withered and yellow central shoot

• Egg: is pink, oval, flat and lays singly or in group on the tender part of the plant
• Larva: is long, pale greenish with a pinkish was dorsally, head and pro-thoracic shield brown in colour and body covered with minute hairs arising on wards.
• Pupa: Pupation takes place in lose silken coccon in larval tunnel.
• Adult: is a medium sized moth, the wings are pale yellowish with black spots on the wings. 

• Spraying malathion 0.1% at 30 day intervals during July to October is effective in controlling the pest infestation.
• The spraying has to be initiated when the first symptom of pest attack is seen on the inner most leaves on the pseudostem.

• Field infestation

  • Plants look devitalized, pale and withered before drying completely.
  • In such cases at the time of harvest minute yellowish crawlers can be seen moving in large numbers and this is the potential stage of dissemination.

Storage infestation

• In Initial stage of infestation in, the white coloured scales are seen scattered on rhizomes and latter they congregate near the growing buds.
• When the infestation is severe the rhizome and buds shrivel and ultimately the entire rhizome dries.

Adult

• Female: scales are circular (about 1mm diameter) and light brown to gray and appear as encrustations on the rhizomes.
• Male is orange coloured with transparent wings, distinct head, thorax and abdomen.

• Discard and do not store severely infested rhizomes
• Collect and destroy damaged leaves
• Select healthy rhizomes free from scale infestation for seed materials
• Treat seed material with quinalphos 0.075% (for 20-30 minutes) before storage and also before sowing in case the infestation persists.
• Apply well rotten sheep manure @ 10 t/ ha in two splits or poultry  manure in 2 splits followed by drenching dimethoate 30 EC @ 2 ml or phosalone 35 EC @  2ml /lit of water

• Leaves become folded or rolled longitudinally
• Complete defoliation

• Larva: is smooth green with black head

Adult

• It is brownish black butterfly
• Forewing: has a white spots
• Hind wing: has a large white patch

• A spray with carbaryl (0.1%) or dimethoate (0.05%) may be undertaken when the severe infestation   
• Spray the following dissolved in 1 lit of water, Bavisitin 2g +Mancozeb 2g + Teefol 1 ml

• Leaves become rolled up
• Turn pale and gradually dry-up

• Adult is with fringed wings

• Spray insecticides like quinalphos 0.025% or fenthion or phosalone 0.07%