Biology, ecology and management of fruit piercing moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Bhumannavar B. S.*, Viraktamath C. A. National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, P.O. Box 2491, H. A. Farm Post, Hebbal, Bangalore-560 024, India 1University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore, India *E-mail: bhumannavar.nbaii@gmail.com
Online published on 29 August, 2013. Abstract Moths of the genus Eudocima (=Othreis) are the dominant primary fruit piercers, accompanied by several secondary fruit feeders resulting in extensive damage to pomegranate in the south and orange in the central India. The damage is mostly observed during September to November. None of the earlier recommended methods such as catching the adult moths by hand net, smoking of the orchard in the evening, spraying the fruits with insecticides, baiting the adult moths with arsenic compounds, baggaing of the fruits, deterring the moths by the bright light source and destroying the larval host plants are adequately effective in reducing the damage caused by these insects. The egg and larval parasitoids hold good promise for the suppression of fruit piercing moths damage. Enclosing whole orchard with nylon net also advisable. The recent advances in the bioecology and management of fruit piercing moths is reviewed. Top Keywords Eudocima, fruit piercing moth, bioecology. Top |