Army worm

• Larvae cut the seedlings in large scale.
  
• Severe infestation - cattle grazing appearance to the field.
• They feed gregariously and march from field to field.

• Caterpillars march in large numbers in the evening hours and feed on the leaves of paddy seedlings till the morning and hide during daytime.
• They feed gregariously and after feeding the plants in one field march onto the next field. Under severe infestation crop gives the grazed appearance.
• Attacked plants are reduced to stumps. Nurseries situated in ill-drained marshy areas attacked earlier than dry ground.
• Damage is severe during July to September.

• Egg :
  Eggs are spherical and creamy in colour, which are laid in a group covered over with grey hairs.


• Larva :
  The caterpillars are light green with yellowish white lateral and dorsal stripes in the early stage and later become dark brown or grayish green in colour with a crescent (Semi-circular) shaped black spot on the side of each segment.


• Pupa :
  They pupate inside the soil in earthen cocoons. Pupa is
  dark brown and measures 16-17mm long.


• Adult :
  The adult moth is medium sized, stout built dark brown with a conspicuous triangular black spot on the forewings. Hind wings are brownish white with thin black margins.

Cultural Methods :

• Drain the water in the field.
  
  
• Flooding the nursery makes the hiding larvae to come to the surface and thus they are picked by birds.
  
  
• Kerosenate the water while irrigation – suffocation
  
  
• Allow ducks into the field.

Chemical Methods :

• Spray chlorpyriphos 20 EC 80ml + 20 lit of water for 8 cents
  
  

• Parasitoids such as tachinids, ichneumonids, eulophids, chalcids, and braconid wasps parasitize this pest.
  
  
• Meadow grasshoppers, ants, birds and toads feed on the pest.