Distribution: Cosmopolitan in distribution
Host
range: Polyphagous, infests over 100
host plants including potato, chickpea, cotton, caster, tomato, cowpea, millets,
linseed, tobacco, safflower, pigeon pea, okra, carnation etc.
Nature of damage and symptoms:
• Damage is caused by the larva
• Feed on the foliage, flowers, buds and fruits.
• Small green fruits are preferred
• Single larva can destroy many fruits
• The damage is more pronounced during March to June
Identification:
• Eggs are yellowish white, ribbed, dome shaped and 0.4-0.5 mm in dia.
• Newly emerged larvae are yellowish white whereas older can be of many colours depending upon the food they consume. Full grown caterpillars are 40-48 mm long with whitish and dark gray longitudinal stripes.
•
Adults are medium sized stoughtly built moths.
• Forewing is light yellow in males and brown in females.
• On the apical margin of forewings, wavy lines in the form of light black band are visible and a black spot appears on the upper side of the wing.
• On the tip of the abdomen there is a tuft of hairs in case of females.
Eggs of H. armigera Larva of H. armigera