• Pinkish oval insects beneath leaf sheath on the nodes, with whitish mealy coating.
• Main cane stunned also attack roots.
• Sooty mould develops on the honey dew giving blackish appearance on canes which attack the black ants
• Yellowing of leaves

• Eggs: Eggs are retained in the female reproductive organs until they fully mature.  Incubation period is short. The females may bring forth hundreds of young ones parthenogenetically. Egg is yellowish, smooth, cylindrical and rounded at both ends.
• Nymph: Newly emerged nymphs are quite active with a pinkish transparent body.
• Adult: Pinkish with mealy coating.

Cultural method:

• Use resistant varieties like CO 439, CO 443, CO 720, CO 730 and CO 7704
• Drain excess water from the field.

Physical method:

• Detrash the crop on 150 and 210 DAP
• Avoid excess usage of Nitrogen fertilizers

Chemical method:

• Apply any one of the following insecticides per ha and when the incidence is noticed spray on the stem only, methyl parathion 50 EC 1000 ml, malathion 50 EC 1000 ml.
• If severe infestation is noticed detrash and spray with dimethoate 30 EC @ 1 ml/ lit mixed with fish oil resin resin soap @ 2.5 ml/lit. Direct the spray on growing point and clump region and in the soil below the clump.