Looper cater pillar: Biston supressaria

Symptoms of damage:

• Young caterpillars feed on the tender leaves - making punctures
• Mature larvae prefer older leaves.
• Grown up larvae feed entire leaf
• Severe infestation - tea bushes are completely denuded.

Identification of the pest:

• Larva - dark brown with pale yellowish white lines on the back and sides.
• Adult - grey wings speckled with light brown or black markings and irregular wavy yellow lines.

Management:

• Spray NSKE 5% (or) neem based oil formulations 3%
• Spray any one of the following insecticides phosalone (or) chlorpyriphos (or) fenitrothion (or) malathion 2ml/lit. or Deltamethrin 2.8 EC 10 – 150 ml/ha