a)         Lepidopterans                             BACK

1.         Cabbage semi-looper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

2.         Tobacco caterpillar: Spodoptera litura Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

3.         Gram pod borer: Helicoverpa armigera Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

 

Other Lepidopteran pests of minor importance for potato crop:

4. Bihar hairy caterpillar: Spilosoma obliqua Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

5. Army worms: Mythimna separata Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

6. Brinjal Shoot and Fruit borer: Leucinodes orbonalis Guen. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

 

 

Life cycle of Lepidopterans:

 

         Text Box: Larvae of S. litura
Each female may lay 300 eggs in clusters covered with brown hair.

         Eggs hatch in 3-5 days.

         Larvae become full fed in 15-30 days

         Pupal period is 7-15 days.

         Adult longevity is 7-10 days

     •         Total life cycle is completed in 32-60 days.

         8 overlapping generations in a year.

         Most congenial temperature range for lepidopteran development is 18-30˚C.

 

                                          

                                            Figure: Life cycle of lepidopterans

 
Management of caterpillars:

 

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