It includes insect pest of mustard, groundnut,sesame,castor,sunflower,safflower and linseed

1. INSECT PEST OF OILSEED CROPS
Made by: Manisha Duhan
(RLBCAU002)

2. INSECT PEST OF MUSTARD

3. Mustard sawfly : Athalia lugens
(Hymnoptera:Tenthrinidae)
 Adult fly measures 8-11 mm in length and orange yellow coloured
insect with black markings on the body especially femora and thorax
 Female with saw like ovipositor and abdomen is orange colour
 Wings are translucent, Smokey with black coloured veins

4. LIFE CYCLE
Eggs : Eggs are insert singly, in slits made with saw like ovipositor along the
under sides of the leaf margin Each female lays 60 eggs
I.P 4-5 days
Larva : Cylindrical , greenish black in colour with wrinkled body and has 7-8
pairs of prolegs. A full grown larva measures 16-18mm in length, on touch the
larva suddenly falls to ground and like a feign death.
L.P – 13-18 days
Pupa : Pupation in earthen cocoon in soil .
P.P – 10-15 days

5.  Larvae feeds on leaves i.e early instar it nibbles the leaves as a result
there is slight curling .
 Later instar they feed from margin inside to wards midrib and it falls to
the ground and feigns death on slightest touch.
 They devour the epidermis of the shoot, resulting in drying up of
seedlings and failure to bear seeds in older plants.
NATURE OF DAMAGE

6. MANAGEMENT
 Summer ploughing to destroy the pupae.
 Maintain clean cultivation.
 Early sowing should be done.
 Apply irrigation in seedling stage is very crucial for saw fly management,
because most of the larva die due to drowning effect ( sink in water).
 Collection and destruction of larvae of saw fly in morning and evening
hours.
 Use of bitter gourd seed oil emulsion as an antifeedant.
 Spray the crop with malathion 50EC @ 1 lit. or quinalphos 25EC @ 625ml
in 500-600 lit. of water / ha once in October and again in March - April .

7. Mustard aphid : Lipaphis erysimi
( Aphididae : Hemiptera)

8. LIFE CYCLE
Insects breed pathenogenetically and female gives birth to
26 -133 nymphs they grow fast and full fed in 7-10 days
About 45 generations are completed in a year.

9. Aphids are small, soft bodied, pear shaped pale greenish insects,
abundant from December- March.
 The aphid attack generally during 2nd and 3rd week of December and
continues till march.
 The most favourable temp. – 8 to 240 C i.e Cloudy and cold weather.
 RH – 70-80%
 Rainy and humid weather helps in accelerating the growth of insects.

10. NATURE OF DAMAGE
 Both nymphs and adults suck the cell sap from leaves, stems,
buds and pods
 Curling may occur in infested leaves and get advanced stage plants
may wither and die
 Vitality of plants is greatly reduced and remain stunted
 The flowers fail to form pods and developing pods do not
produce healthy seeds
 Honey dew excreted as result development of sooty mould and
come
in the way of photosynthetic activity of the plant
 The infected plants looks sickly and blighted in appearance

11. MANAGEMENT
Use mustard aphid tolerant varieties like JM-1 and RK-9501
Set up yellow sticky trap to monitor the aphid population
To conserve the following natural enemies
Lady bird beetles – Coccinella septumpunctata
Several species of Syrphids- Eristallis spp.
Metasyrphus spp.

12. Painted bug : Bagrada hilaris
( Pentatomidae : Hemiptera )

13. LIFE CYCLE
Egg: Painted bug lays its eggs in clusters on leaves or on the soil underneath
host plants. Eggs are barrel shaped, initially white and turn orange with age.
A single female can lay as many as 100 eggs within 2 to 3 weeks. The
incubation period is 5 to 8 days.
Nymph: Nymph pass through five stages changing colour from bright
orange to red with dark markings, gradually acquiring the colouration of
the adult. Initially they do not have wings; wings are gradually developed
as the nymphs grow. Wing pads are visible in the last instar nymph.
Adult: The adult bug is typically shield-shaped, 5 to 7 mm long and 3 to 4
mm broad at its widest area. The upper surface has a mixture of black, white
and orange markings, which gives the insect its common names harlequin
bug or painted bug. The life cycle lasts 3 to 4 weeks and several generations
may occur in a year. Period of activity of painted bug starts from September.

14. NATURE OF DAMAGE
 The adults and the nymphs suck the sap from the plants as a
result young plants wilt and wither as a result of attack
 Both quality and quantity of yield is affected when grown up
plants are severely affected
 In certain years they appear in epidemic forms
 The nymphs and adults also excrete a sort of resinous material
which spoils the pods

15. MANAGEMENT
 Deep ploughing so that the eggs of painted bugs are destroy
 Early sowing is needed to avoid pest attack
 Irrigate the crop during four weeks after sowing to reduce pest attack
 Quick threshing of the harvested crop should be done
 Burn the remains of mustard crop so that the stages of insect do not
reach the next year crop

16. INSECT PEST OF GROUNDNUT

17. White grub: Holotrichia consunguinea
( Scarabeidae : Coleoptera )
Eggs and larva Matured larva
 Early instars, translucent white in colour, first instars feed on
organic matter, humus of soil
 Fully fed larvae 5 cm in length grey in colour with dark brown hairs.
 Second and subsequent instars feed on root lets

19.  NATURE OF DAMAGE
Grubs feed on nodules and fine rootlets
as a result of which the plants become
pale in colour and wilted in appearance
and ultimately dry up .
Wilted plants do not have tap root and
rootlets.

20. MANAGEMENT:
Mechanical Control
Collection and destruction of white grub adults from host trees around
the field. In areas where white grub is persistent problem, deep
ploughing after harvesting the crop can reduce the population as birds
can pickup the grubs, and destruction of pupae.
Biological Control
Conserve braconids, dragon flies, trichogrammatids, NPV, green
muscardine fungus.
Chemical Control
Apply safe chemical insecticides at recommended doses only if the insect
population crosses the ETL.
Control white grub adults by spraying their feeding trees like neem etc.
with Carbaryl 50 WP at 2 g per liter of water. OR Chlorpyriphos 20 EC @ 2
ml/lit of water soon after first monsoon showers for 3-4 days in the late
evening hours kills the adult beetles and reduces root grub infestation.

21. Ground nut leaf miner: Aproaerema modicella
( Gelechidae : Lepidoptera )
 Adult is a tiny moth, measures about 1 cm in wing expanse
greyish brown in colour
 Wings fringed and dark greyish brown in colour
 Yellowish white spot on the costal margin of each wing
 Hind wings are small and covered with fringe of minute hairs

22.  Early instars larvae acts as leaf miner,
 First mines the leaf feeding on mesophyll tissue
 As the feeding advances, the mines increases in size and the entire
leaf lets become brown, rolls, shrivels and finally produces blotches.
LIFE CYCLE OF PEST
Eggs : are small laid singly on the tender shoots and leaf lets
Each female moth lays – 150-200 eggs,
I.P-2-3 days
Larva : Caterpillar very small, delicate and measures about 0.5cm, smooth
bodied and green in colour with dark coloured head and prothorax
L.P- 9 - 17 days
Pupa : The full grown larva pupate within the leaf fold or within webbed
leaflets P.P=5-8 days

23. NATURE OF DAMAGE
 Young larvae initially mine into the leaflets, feed on the mesophyll and
form small brown blotches on the leaf.
 Later stages larvae web the leaflets together and feed on them, remaining
within the folds.
 Severely attacked field looks "burnt" from a distance.

24. MANAGEMENT:
Physical
The adult moths are attracted to light from 6.30 to 10.30 P.M.
Petromax lamp placed at ground level attracts moths.
Cultural
Crop rotation with non-leguminous crops would considerably
reduce the leafminer population.
Rotation of groundnut with soyabean and other leguminous crops
should be avoided.
The most promising method of control would be utilization of
resistant/tolerant varieties.
Chemical
Monocrotophos 0.04 %, DDVP 0.05 %, Fenitrothion 0.05 %,
Endosulfan 0.07 %, Carbaryl 0.2 %, Quinalphos 0.05 %.
Larva is parasitized by Bracon gelechidae Ashm. & Elasmus
brevicornis Gah.

25. Ground nut Aphid : Aphis craccivora
( Aphididae : Hemiptera )
 Aphids are reddish to dark brown in colour and large number
on tender shoots, leaves and flowers
 Biology is greatly influenced by weather
 Parthenogenesis and ovoViviparous reproduction are common
 Apterous and winged forms are also common

26. LIFE CYCLE
Even without fertilization female may produce 8-20 youngones
Pathenogenetically in a life span of 10-20 days.Young nymphs are
brownish and they pass through 4 moults and become adults in 5-8
days.

27. NATURE OF DAMAGE
 Both nymphs adults suck the sap from leaf lets and tender shoots.
 It results in wilting of tender leaves/ shoots, particularly during hot weathe
 Leaves are mottled with chlorotic or dark green spots and plants get stunted
 Honey dew deposition can be observed, which attracts ants.
 It is the vector of Ground nut rosette disease or Mosaic virus

28. MANAGEMENT:
-Cochinella septumpunctata, Menochilus
sexmaculatus & Chrysoperla carnea keeps the pest under
check.
( if 1 predator per plant no need of insecticide application.)
-Grow cowepea +Ground nut.
-Apply Phosphamidon 0.03 %

29. Groundnut hairy catterpillar : Amsacta moorei
( Lepidoptera : Arctiidae)

30. LIFE CYCLE
Egg: Eggs are cream coloured or bright yellow in colour and laid in
groups or in clusters on the available host plants or occasionally
on the vegetation, clods of the earth, stones, dry twigs etc.,
Each female lays – 600 – 700 eggs
I.P – 3-4 days
Larva : passes 7 instars
Hairy caterpillar reddish brown with black band on either end and
having reddish brown hair all over the body.
L.P – 25-40 days
Pupa : the grown up larvae burrow the moist soil and pupate in the
earthen soil.
P.P- 9-10 days

31. NATURE OF DAMAGE
 The larvae hatch from the eggs feed gregariously by scarping the
green matter or skeletonization on the under surface of the young
leaflets leaving the upper epidermal layer intact.
 Later feed voraciously on the leaves leaving the petiole and
midribs and main stem of the plants.
 They march from field to field in a gregarious manner The
affected field appear as if grazed by cattle .

32. MANAGEMENT
-Collection and destruction of egg masses and hand picking of
larvae
-The barnyard millet (Echinochloea frumentacea.) may act as strong
barrier
-Summer ploughing and poison baiting.
-Erection of light traps soon after the monsoon for 20-45 days and
collecting and killing of adult moths are found to be very effective.
-The dispersing larvae of hairy caterpillar from one field to another
can be checked by digging trenches across the direction of their
march, and prompt destruction of larvae.

33. Bihar hairy caterpillar: Spilarctia obliqua
( Arctiidae : Lepidoptera )
Adult is a medium sized moth pale buff in colour with black spots
Body is crimson and black spotted

34. Eggs : are laid in groups of 40-60 on the under surface of the leaves
Each female lays 500 – 1300eggs
I.P – 3-4 days
Larva: the fully grown caterpillar is hairy and orange in colour with
two ends are black in colour
L.p – 14-20 Days
Pupa : pupation takes place in soil or dried leaves
P.P- 16-22 days
The cocoon and pupa
LIFE CYCLE

35. Early instars feed gregariously by scraping the green matter
as a result skeletonization.
The grown up instars feed on entire leaves causes defoliation.
NATURE OF DAMAGE

36. MANAGEMENT
-Collection and destruction of eggs and early stage larvae.
-Spray NSKE 5% to kill early stage larvae.
-If grownup larvae are seen, spray quinalphos, monocrotophos, or
chlorpyriphos @ 2ml/litre of water.

37. Stem borer: Sphenoptera perotetti
( Buprestidae : Coleoptera )
This is an important pest of ground nut in south India
Adult : is an dark brown jewel beetle about 1 cm long, flat and
oval in shape.
LIFE CYCLE
Eggs : are laid on the main stem closed to ground level in 15 – 20 days
I.P – 4-5 days
Grubs : The fully grown grubs measures 2.5 – 3 cm in length pale colour
with white coloured head
L.P – 30 - 35 days
Pupa : Pupation takes place with in larval tunnel in stem itself
P.P – 10-12 days

38. SYMPTOMS
 On hatching grub bores in to the branches and stem and gets in
the main root and make tunneling by feeding
 As a result death of the plants and such plants are pulled they
come up easily,Branches may droop and plants show wilting and drying
MANAGEMENT
Application of malathion 5 % @ 25 kg / ha prior to sowing
 Repeat the soil application of above dust formulation on 40 days of
sowing and gypsum application

39. Leaf hopper: Empoasca kerri
( Cicadellidae : Hemiptera )
This is a elongate hopper with wedge shaped body, yellowish green
in colour found on the undersurface of the leaf.

40. NATURE OF DAMAGE
 Both nymphs and adults suck the sap from undersurface of leaf
and causes yellowing of leaf margin / leaf lets which finally leads
to ‘hopper burn’ symptom.
 Heavy infestation can cause stunting and yellowing near leaf tips.
MANAGEMENT
Use tolerant variety girnar and timely sow the crop.

41. INSECT PEST OF CASTOR

42. Castor shoot and capsule borer : Dichocrocis punctiferalis
( Pyralidae : Lepidoptera )
It is a regular pest of castor
It attacks variety of host plants and causes different types of
damages when it attacks
Castor and cardamom – shoot and capsule borer
Sorghum – Ear head borer
Mango – Inflorescence caterpillar
Ginger – Rhizome borer
Guava, Peach, Jack, Tomato- Fruit borer
Similar to fruit sucking moth it has suctorial proboscis- piercing juice

43. Adult is a small sized bright yellow / orange coloured moth with
numerous black spots on both the pair of wings

44. LIFE CYCLE
Eggs : are laid in groups of up to 6 on inflorescence and capsules
as well as other tender parts of the plant
I.P – 3-6 days
Larva : there are 5 larval instars and measures about 2.5 to 3cm in
length, pinkish brown in colour with numerous tubercles on
the body L.P – 12-16 days
Pupa : pupation takes place in side the stem in silken cocoon or inside
the capsules.
P.P – 6-7 days
Adult longevity – 5-10 days
The pest appears from flowering stage up to maturity stage

45.  Newly hatched larva feeds on greenish coloured capsules in
between warts.
 Later bores in to the capsules and feeds on developing seeds
 It webs the capsules along with excreta and frass
 Larva also bores into tender shoots and attached inflorescence
 There by killing the terminal shoots.
NATURE OF DAMAGE

46. MANAGEMENT
 Avoid growing varieties which are having compact inflorescence
 Mechanical collection and destruction of attacked shoots and seed
capsule
Chemical control – Initiate chemical sprays at the time of flowering
primary spikes
Spray methyl parathion 50 EC @ 1ml/1l water.

47. Castor semilooper : Achaea janata
( Noctuidae : Lepidoptra )
 Adult is a stout bodied, greyish-brown colored moth with
wavy lines on the fore wings
 Hind wings are white with black patches or markings
Host plants : Castor, Rose, Pomegranate, Tea, Tridax
procumbens, Euphorbia hirta, E. hypercifolia
It is a specific pest of Castor

48. Eggs : Female moths lays 400-500 eggs scattered all over the
ventral surface of the plant
I.P – 3-4 days
Larva : is a semilooper , body grey / black in colour with red or
white lateral stripes, fully-grown larva about 6-7cm long
Larva will be camouflage with colour of the crop canopy. Colour
pattern of 3rd and 4th instar larva is variable. Some time if larva with
red stripes. It is semilooper i.e non functioning of first pair of prolegs
L.P – 20-25 days
Pupa : pupation takes place on the plant or in leaf litter or in soil
with the help of cocoon
P.P – 10-25 days

49. NATURE OF DAMAGE
First instars nibble on the leaves and second instars make
bite holes on the leaves
later instars will eat the leaf completely leaving behind
mid rib.
Usually it won’t be attack stem.
Severe incidence – Capsule also affected
Adult moth – Suck the juice from Citrus fruits also
Serious – July - December
Damage will decline from
November on wards

50. MANAGEMENT
 Hand picking of older larvae during early stages and destroy
 Provide bird perching points @ 7 to 10 / ha
Biological control
A number of Hymenopteran parasites attack the pest during the
various stages of its life cycle
Trichogramma australicum – Egg parasite
Apanteles spp.
Microplitis maculopennis Larval parasites - @ 2 parasites / plant need
not to take up chemical control
Chemical control : Spray methyl parathion 50 EC @ 1 ml / lit. of water

51. White flies : Trialeurodes ricini
(Aleyrodidae : Hemiptera )
Adults are small and delicate having yellow body, hyaline wings dusted
with waxy powder.
NATURE OF DAMAGE
 Nymphs and adults suck the sap from the leaves affected leaves
will curl and dry up and vitality of the plant is reduced
 Vegetative growth is arrested resulting in shedding of leaves
 It also excretes honey dew which falls on lower leaves as a result
sooty mould develops and which inhibits photosynthesis as a
result plant remain sick and stunted

53. MANAGEMENT
Spray the crop with methyl parathion @ 0.05 %
or
methyl demeton @ 0.025 %

54. Castor hairy catterpillar : Euproctis lunata
(Lepidoptera: lymantriidae)
LIFE HISTORY
Moth lay eggs in clusters under leaf which hatch in 1 week and larvae pass
through 6 stages and full fed in 3 weeks , pupal stage last for 1 week in
summer.

55. NATURE OF DAMAGE
Catterpillar feed on the leaves of various host and cause defoliation and
Attacked plant become stunted.
MANAGEMENT
Spray 625 ml of methyl parathion 50 EC in 625 litre of water.

56. Castor slug caterpillar : Parasa lepida
( Limacodidae : Lepidoptera )
Adult is a medium sized moth with brown coloured wings and a
prominent green band at the base of the fore wings
Host plants : Castor, Cocoa, pomegranate, Mango, Wood apple etc.

57. Eggs : are laid in groups and covered with hairs and each group
contains 20-30 eggs on the under surface of the leaves.
I.P -6-7 days
Larva : Larva greenish in colour with white lines and four rows of
tubercles tipped with red and black colour, ventral surface
flat and it moves like a slug.
L.P- 40-45 days
Pupa : pupation takes place on the stem or it pupates on the plants
in cocoons which are covered with spines and hairs
which cause irritation to human skins.
P.P- 9-10 days
NATURE OF DAMAGE
Larvae feed on the leaves leaving only midrib and veins

58. INSECT PEST OF SESAME

59. Til leaf and pod catterpillar : Antigastra catalaunalis
(Pyralidae : Lepidoptera )
The sesamum leaf webber is a serious and regular pest of Sesamum and
is also distributed throughout India.
This species has been reported from Europe, Africa and Indonesia
The infestation starts from March and persists up to December

60. LIFE CYCLE
Eggs : A female moth lays, on an average of 86 eggs and each female
moth lays 100-120 eggs and laid on tender leaves or flowers.
I.P – 4-5 days
Larva : Grown up larva is greenish white with black warts and fine
hairs all over the body and black coloured head.
L.P – 11-16 days
Hibernates as caterpillar within the pods
Pupa : Pupates in silken cocoon under fallen leaves or soil crevices
P.P – 4-7 days

61. NATURE OF DAMAGE
The young larvae web together a few top leaves and feed on them.
In the early stage of infestation, the plant dies without producing
any branch or shoot.
In later stage of attack, infested shoots stop growing.
At flowering, larvae feed inside the flowers and on capsule formation,
larvae bore into capsule and feed on developing seeds
Infested capsule

62. MANAGEMENT
Early sown (first week of July) kharif crop is less infested than
late sown crop.
Intercrop with mungbean, pearl millet and groundnut.
Two sprayings of quinalphos 0.05% at 30 and 45 days after sowing.
or
Two rounds of dusting with phosalone 4% or malathion 5% dust @
25 kg/ha at 30 and 45 days after sowing.

63. Til Hawk Moth: Acherontia styx
(Sphingidae : Lepidoptera)
Adult is a giant dark- yellowish hawk moth with skull like marking
on the thorax with violet and yellow band on the abdomen.
 This is a pest of Sesamum, common in India and also distributed in
Indonesia,Srilanka and Philippines
 Besides Sesamum, it has been reported on Potato, Brinjal, Lab-lab and
ornamentals plants such as Balsam

64. LIFE CYCLE
Eggs : are laid singly on leaves
I.P -2-5 days
Caterpillar : stout green yellowish oblique stripes with prominent
cured horn on the abdomen
L.P – 2 months
Pupa : Pupation takes place in earthen cocoon
in the soil
P.P – 2-3 weeks

65. NATURE OF DAMAGE
The Larvae feed voraciously on the leaves and defoliate the plant
Adult moth visit bee hives during night suck the honey from the comb
MANAGEMENT
 Deep ploughing exposes the pupae for predation to insectivorous
birds.
 Hand picking of the larvae in the initial stage of attack and
destroy them
 Two rounds of dusting with phosalone 4% or malathion 5%, first
at 30 DAS and second at 45 DAS.

66. Sesame gall fly: Asphondylia sesami
(Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)
It occurs all over the india and causes severe damage in south india.
NATURE OF DAMAGE
The maggots feed on the buds which develop into galls and fruits and
Seeds.
MANAGEMENT
Spray 2.5 kg of carbaryl 50 WP in 625 litre of water per ha.

67. INSECT PEST OF SAFFLOWER

68. Safflower bud fly: Acanthiophilus helianthi
( Tephritidae : Diptera )
Adult flies are ash coloured with light brown coloured legs.
The adults are active from March – May.
NATURE OF DAMAGE
 Newly hatched larvae feed on the soft parts of the capsules
 Affected buds show small bored holes
 The infested buds rotten with a foul smelling ooze coming out
of the buds and giving a soaked appearance of the buds

69. LIFE CYCLE
Eggs : the female lay eggs in clusters of 6-24 with in the
flower buds or the flowers.
I.P – 1-2 days in April
Maggot : is dirty white in colour and start feeding on the thalamus.
L.P – 1 week
Pupa : Pupation takes place in side the buds.
P.P – 6-7 days

70. MANAGEMENT
 The early removal and destruction of infested buds is helpful in
checking the spread of the pest.
 Application of dimethoate 30 EC @ 600-650 ml/ha
or
malathion 50 EC @ 1.00 lit. /ha

71. Safflower aphid : Dactynotus carthami
(Aphididae : Hemiptera )

72. NATURE OF DAMAGE
Nymphs and adults are found in larger number and suck the sap from
leaves, shoots, flowers and capsules and affected plants remain
stunted.
 Honey dew excretion develops sooty mould so affect the
photosynthetic activity of the plant.
 About 40-50% yield losses are observed due to this insect.
 Infestation may occur 30-45 days old crop.
 Seed production is seriously afected
Aphid affected plant

73. MANAGEMENT
Avoid late sowing.
If the attack is observed in the border rows take
control measures.
Avoid excess use of nitrogen.
Maintain 2 or 3 rows of Maize and Sorghum around the fields.
Release of Chrysoperla eggs/grubs @ 1-2/plant.
Spray the crop with dimethoate or monocrotophos or
oxydemeton methyl @ 1 ml / lit. of water.

74. INSECT PEST OF LINSEED

75. LINSEED GALL FLY : Dasinura lini
(DIPTERA: CECIDOMYIIDAE)
NATURE OF DAMAGE
Maggots feed inside the floral bud.
Leading to formation of gall like structure which do not
develop in to flower/capsules.
The affected buds wither and drop.
MANAGEMENT
Two sprayings with neem
formulation 0.03%

76. INSECT PEST OF SUNFLOWER

77. CAPITULUM HEAD BORER: Helicovera armigera
(LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE)

80. NATURE OF DAMAGE
The larva feeds on the developing seeds and bore the
head Fungal developed and head starts rotting.
The larva consumes leaf in early stage of growth and
move towards the capitulum and tunnel the head.

81. MANAGEMENT
-Grow inter crops like, green gram, black gram, groundnut, soybean
-Sow 3-4 lines of maize (or) jowar around the sunflower crop to
monitor the moth.
-Sow trap crops like marigold at 50 plants/acre.
-Use of pheromone traps (4 traps/acre) for pest intensity identification
as well as to trap the male moths.
-Setting of light traps (1 light trap/5 acre) to know the range of pest
incidence as well as to kill moth population.
-Release predators like coccinellids, Chrysoperla carnea @1larva/ head
-Release parasitoides like Trichogramma spp.@
20,000/acre, (Bracon spp., Campoletis spp)
-Spray HaNPV 250 LE + Bt @0.5kg/ha for effective control.
-Spray HaNPV 250 LE/ha +1 kg Jaggery + 200ml Sandovit (or) Teepal;
mixing and spray in the evening hours only.
-Spraying of 5% Neem oil or 5% Neem Seed Kernal extract before egg
laying.