TNAU Agritech Portal :: Crop Protection :: Pest

Crop Protection :: Cash Crop :: Pest of Cotton

Tobacco Cutworm: Spodoptera litura

Symptoms of Damage

Young larva

Grown up larva

Identification Characters and Biology

Destructive stage: Larva.
Egg - Laid in masses which appear golden brown
Larva- Pale greenish with dark markings. Gregarious in the early stages
Pupa: Brown. Pupation in soil.
Adult: Forewings brown colour with wavy white marking. Hindwings white colour with a brown patch along the margin. Adult longevity: 7-10 days.

Life Cycle of Tobacco Caterpillar

Integrated Management and Application Technologies

ETL:8 egg masses / 100 m row
Place light trap to monitor and kill the attracted adult moths.
Install sex pheromone trap at 5/acre to monitor the activity of the pest.
Grow castor along border and irrigation bunds.
Remove and destroy the egg masses in castor and cotton crops.
Remove and destroy the early stage larvae.
Hand pick and destroy the gown up caterpillars.
Spray any one of the following insecticides when pest population reaches ETL Diflubenzuron 25%WP 120-140g/acre or Chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC @60 ml/acre or Spinetoram 11.7 % SC 168-188 ml/acre or Nuclear polyhedrosis virus at 6 x 1011 POB/ acre.

Pupa

Adult