Host range: Maize, cereals, dry fruits, groundnuts and cereal products.
Symptoms of damage
- Larva causes serious damage to ear and grain of maize; contaminates the grain with excreta, cast skins, webbings, dead individuals and cocoons; prefers to eat the germ portion and hence grains lose viability.
- It feeds superficially but may construct more than one silken tunnel.
Identification of the pest
- Egg: Greyish white with granular surface, laid indiscriminately at night.
- Larva: Transparent, dirty white, skin is granular with hairy body.
- Pupa: Straw coloured, changes colour to greyish with age, in silken cocoon.
- Adult: Forewing basal half silver white or greyish, outer 2/3 portion is reddish copper bronze lustre with irregular bands
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