Scientific Name: Earias vittella
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Host range: Okra, Cotton, Rose mallow
Identification & Nature of Damage by okra fruit & shoot borer
- Adults are light green to brown in color which have green color stripes in forewing.
- The hindwing is having light green stripes on the innerside of apical margin.
- The adult may measure upto 15-20 mm in length.
- The larva are brown in color with white lining from head to abdomen in dorsal part whereas the ventral side is green in color.
- Larva measure upto 40 mm in length.
- Larva is the damaging stage which feeds on the tender shoots, leaf, flower, fruits, and even tunnel the stem which results in reduced fruit production, premature fruit drop even death of the plant.
Biology:
In Cotton:
- The adult female lay egg singly on the tender shoot, square, and reproductive part with an incubation period of 3-4 days.
- Larva passes 5-6 instar within a period of 30-40 days and are varied in color depending on the part they consume or the stage of plant part they consume.
- Pupation occurs in soil or sometimes in the cotton boll with a period of 9-12 days.
- Pupa are dark brown to reddish in color.
In Okra:
- The adult female lay eggs singly or in cluster of 2-3 eggs & prefer hairy parts to lay eggs.
- Adult female can lay 1000 eggs in its lifetime.
- Egg period= 2-9 days
- Larval period = 9-20 days with 4-6 instar.
- Pupation occurs in soil with pupal period of 2-4 weeks.
- Pupa are brick red in color.
Management of okra fruit & shoot borer:
- Collection of different stage larvae and destruction
- Use Light trap
- Sanitation and removal of alternate host
- Avoid using high dose of nitrogen
- Erwin lure
- 10 traps/ha for monitoring
- 50 or more/ha for management
- Egg parasitoid: Trichogramma chilonis Ishii, T. brasiliensis Ashmead @ 50,000 parasitized eggs/ha after 35 days of transplanting at an interval of 7-10 days for 5-6 times
- Larval parasitoids: Chelonus blackburni (Cameron) or Bracon brevicornis (Wesmael) or Apanteles sp. @10,000-12,000 cocoon after 5 days of planting.
- Conservation of NEs like spiders Thomisus sp. and Neosiana sp.
- Use of botanical pesticides Neem Seed Kernel Extract (NSKE) 5%@2ml/ltr of water
- Use of safe chemical pesticides
- Emamectin benzoate 5%SG @3g/10lit of water