Introduction
•Distribution and status: Oriental in distribution including India.
It is a serious pest under rainfed conditions on pulses in Rajasthan and groundnut in southern part of India.
Amsacata albistriga is predominant in South India while A. moorie dominates northern parts of the country.
Seasonal outbreak largely depends on the climatic conditions and local agricultural practices of the region concerned.
It takes place twice a year May-June and August-October.
It’s outbreak occurs only once in Rajasthan during August- October
•Host range: Maize, sorghum, green gram, sesame, pearl millet, finger millet, groundnut, sunhemp, castor, cotton.
Identification
•Larvae : -Damage caused by full-grown caterpillar
-25 mm length -Reddish-amber to olive green colour
-Body covered with numerous long hairs arising from the fleshy tubercles.
•Adult : -Moth are stoutly built, white wings with black spots
-Entire abdomen are scarlet red
-Black bands and dots on the abdomen.
Life cycle
Damage
•The larvae feed on the leaves gregariously by scraping the under surface of tender leaflets leaving the upper epidermal layer intact in early stages.
•Later they feed voraciously on the leaves and main stem of plants. They march from field to field gregariously. Severely affected field looks as though they are grazed by cattle.
•Sometimes it results in the total loss of pods. They also feed on sorghum, cotton, finger millet, castor, pulses and cowpea, etc.
Management
•Dig out a trench around the field to avoid the migration of caterpillars, trap larvae and kill them.
•Use nuclear polyhedrosis virus @ 250 LE/ha.
•For young caterpillars – apply endosulfan 4D 25 kg/ha (or) carbaryl 10 D 25 kg/ha. •Organize mass ground spraying in endemic areas if necessary in the case of outbreak of the pest.
•For grown up caterpillars – spray endosulfan 750 ml/ha (or) dichlorvos 625 ml/ha (or) chlorpyriphos 1250 ml/ha in 375 litres of water.
