COTTON – BOLLWORMS, BORERS

AND DEFOLIATORS
Lecture No.9
BOLLWORMS

Spotted bollworm, Earias vittella ,

E. insulana Noctuidae: Lepidoptera

American bollworm, Helicoverpa

armigera,
Noctuidae: Lepidoptera

Pink bollworm, Pectinophora

gosspiella, Gelechiidae:
Lepidoptera
 Bollworms
• Spotted bollworm, Earias vittella
Noctuidae: Lepidoptera
• Spiny bollworm, E. insulana
Noctuidae: Lepidoptera
• Category: Serious pest of cotton
• Distribution: E. vittella is abundant in high rainfall
areas such as MP, Maharastra, Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu. E. insulana abounds in areas receiving scanty
rains such as North West India.
• Host range: Bhendi, Abutilon, mesta
Nature of damage:
• Initially (30-40 DAS) the larva bores tender top
shoots and later eats into young squares, flowers as
well as buds and bolls.
• Contents of the bolls are eaten and the quality of the
lint deteriorates
Symptoms:
• During the vegetative (35-45 DAS) its damage causes
dead heart, drying and drooping of shoot tips.
• There is an excessive shedding of buds, flowers and
bolls which bear holes plugged with excreta.
• Several blackish/brownish apical shoots are
noticeable.
 Biology
• Egg: greenish eggs – singly laid
– leaves , EP: 3-10 days
• Larva: E. vitella – 19mm long –
brown dorsum showing white
longitudinal streak, last two
thoracic segments –fleshly
tubercles, LP: 13-30 days
• E. insulana – larva- brown
dorsum, abdominal tubercles
longer in the larva, LP: 13-30
days
 Biology
Pupa: inside leathery, cream coloured,
boat shaped cocoons attached to
plants, 8-15 days
Adults:
• 1 cm and wing span 2cm. The body
colour – bright green and the
abdomen- silvery appearance
• E. vitella: Forewing – wedge shaped
green patch – middle
• E. insulana: Entire forewing –green
• Life cycle: 24 -50 days
Life cycle
 Management
• ETL: 10 % infested shoots or squares or bolls
• Plough deeply to expose resting pupae
• Collection and destruction of infested plants
• Set –up pheromone trap @ 10/ha
• Set up bird perches
• Release egg parasiotids – Trichogramma chilonis
and larval parasitoid – Chelonus blackburnii or
Bracon brevicornis – at 35 to 70 days
Contd.,
• Spray any one of the following in alternate
– Emamectin benzoate 5 SG at 135 g/ha
– Flubendiamide 20 WDG @ 100g/ha
– Azdiractinn 1.0 %
– Spinosad 45 SC @ 167 ml/ha
– Indoxacarb 14.5 SC @ 517ml/ha
– Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC @125 ml/ha
– Cypermethrin 10 EC @ 550ml/ha
 American bollworm, Helicoverpa
armigera Noctuidae: Lepidoptera
• Category: Serious pest, polyphagous pest
• Distribution: Cosmopolitan found throughout the
world.
• Period of activity: Low temperature, high rainfall
favours high incidence. The pest is active July-
October and February-April.
• Host range: Redgram, chickpea, greengram,
blackgram, cowpea, bhendi, groundnut, tomato,
chillies, maize, sorghum, tabacco etc.,
 Biology
• Egg: sub-spherical with ribs, sculptured, white-
creamy white, singly laid – buds, tender shoot, EP: 2-
6 days
• Larva: 3.5 mm in length, greenish with dark brown
line along the side of the body, LP: 13-19 days
• Pupa: inside the soil – dark brown – sharp spine –
posterior end, PP: 8-15 days
• Adults: stout, yellowish brown – dark speck are on
forewings – greyish wavy lines
• Hindwings – whitish with blackish patch –outer
margin – Total lifecycle- 27-45 days
Larva Adult
 Management
• Avoid continuous cropping of cotton
• Growing of less preferred crops like grams,
castor, sorghum etc., along cotton as intercrop
or border crop
• Install pheromone traps at a distance of 50
m@ 5 traps per acre
• Application of Nuclear polyhedrosis virus – 3 X
10 12 POB/ha -7th and 12th week after sowing
• Plant trap crops like marigold (1:16 rows) or okra or
pigeonpea along the border and irrigation bunds to
divert bollworm oviposition from main crop
• Use of maize and cowpea on borders as significantly
helps in reducing the pest populations.
• Removal of terminals of cotton crop (topping) at 80-90
days of growth to reduce Helicoverpa oviposition and
also to encourage sympodial branching which bears
more fruiting bodies.
• Application of fungal pathogens like Beauveria
bassiana 1.15 % WP @ 2kg/ha under humid
conditions is effective.
• Releasing predator Chrysoperla zastrowi silemi @
1,00,000 @ha at 6th, 13th and 14th week after sowing
Contd.,
• Release egg parasitoid, Trichogramma spp – 6.5
CC/ha – 15 days interval – 3 times from 45 DAS
• Spray any of the chemicals in alternate
– Emamectin benzoate 5 SG 135 ml/ha
– Flubendiamide 20 WDG 7.5g/lit
– Azdiractinn 1.0 %
– Spinosad 45 SC 167 ml/ha
– Indoxacarb 14.5 SC 517ml/ha
– Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC – 125 ml/ha
– Cypermethrin 10 EC – 550ml/ha
 Pink bollworm, Pectinophora gosspiella
Gelechiidae: Lepidoptera
• Category: Most serious pest and monophagous pest
• Distribution: Found all over the tropical and subtropical
regions of the world.
• In India, it distributed throughout West Bengal, Assam,
Bihar, Haryana, MP, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu
etc.,
• Period of activity: Active from October – November in
Northern India and active during summer months in
Southern parts of India. It occurs in the later stage of
the crop growth and may persist till harvest.
• Host range: Cotton only
Nature of damage:
• Larva do most spectacular damage to mature cotton bolls -
enter - tiny neonate larvae.
• Their entry holes get blocked and they remain inside.
• Feeds on seeds and immature fibers and moves to adjustment
locules by making a hole through septum.
• They also bore into flower buds and flowers.
• They cut window holes in the two adjoining seeds thereby
forming double seeds and finally damage them.
Symptoms:
Rosetted flowers-Petals are webbed together.
Infested bolls show into locular burrowing,
discoloured lint and burrowed seeds.
Premature shedding of buds, bolls
 Pest identification and life cycle
• Egg: Flat, striated small laid on tender parts
bolls, buds, bracts, flowers Egg period is 3
days
• Larva: First two larval instars are creamy
white. Third larval instar will show
transverse pinkish lines changing into dark
pink bands. LP: 30 days.
• Pupa: In soil among fallen leaves, flowers,
clods. PP – 7 days.
• Adult: Small slender greyish brown coloured
with an expanse of about 12.5 mm.
• Forewings dark brown with irregular black
areas.
• Hind wings silvery grey with fringed margin.
• ET: 10 % infested fruiting bodies
 Management
• Clean cultivation and destruction of crop residues before onset of
season
• Plough deeply to expose the hibernating larvae/pupae
• Use of tolerant varieties viz., Khandwa-2, JKH-1, Abadita, LH 900,
Sujay and Desi
• Use light trap and install pheromone traps at a distance of 50 m @ 5
traps/ha
• withholding irrigation water to avoid prolonged late boll
production/ formation to reduce the build-up of over-wintering
population
• Hot water treatment of the seeds upto 600C kill the hibernating
larvae.
• Release Ichneumonid parasitoid, Isotima javensis @ 100 pairs as
pre-pupal parasitoid.
• Grow Bt cotton varieties like MECH 163 and RCH 2 BT.
 Refugee cropping in Bt. Cotton varieties
against Pink bollworm Biotype development
• Follow Refugee crop: Growing of non B.t
cotton plants around the B.t cotton field is
termed as Refugee crop.
• Refugee crop has the advantage of avoiding
resistance developed against the B.t cotton
varieties grown and prohibit the development
of biotypes.
 Stem weevil: Phempherulus affinis,
Curculionidae, Coleoptera
• Distribution: throughout India
• Host range: Cotton and Bhendi
Symptom of damage:
• Grub bores – inward reaching in
between the bark and stem – make
tunnels – feed on it
• Plant suddenly dry up
• Swelling – stem above the ground
level – lack vigour and strength
• Plant break up – heavy winds
 Biology
• Globular/oval –shaped egg –
singly –nodal region/collar
region – hatch in 6 to 10 days
• Grub: Fleshy, yellowish white,
apodous, pyriform – feeding on
tissues. GP: 35 to 40 days
• Adult – small size with a snout
• Dorsum of elytra –two small
white patches – seen
• Adult longevity: 25 to 30 days
• There are five generations in a
year
 Management
• Use resistant variety MCU against stem weevil
• Soil application of carbofuron 3 G at 30 kg –
20 days after sowing and earthed up
• Basal application of FYM 25 t/ha or 250 kg/ha
neem cake
 Semilooper, Noctuidae: Lepidoptera
• Anomis flava, Acontia graellsi and Tarache
nitidula
• Distribution: Found throughout India
• Symptom of damage: Defoliation, causing
irregular boreholes- stunted growth
 Biology
• Anomis flava
• Eggs: laid singly – leaf upper
surface. Egg period: 4-5 days
• Larva – green – 5 long stripes
with red prolegs. Larval Period:
18 – 20 days 4 -5 instars
• Pupa: leaf folds, 5-7 days
• Adult: medium – forewings-
reddish brown with brown
spots and faint cross stripes
 Biology
Acontia graellsi
• Eggs- laid singly – leaves
• Larva – green with brown horse-shoe shaped
markings – black warts
• Pupa – pupation – leaves
• Adult – medium forewings – lemon yellow –
transverse brown streak - spots
 Biology
• Tarache nitidula
• Eggs: laid singly – leaves, Egg period: 3-4 day
• Larva – Dark Brown, Larval period: 20 –22
days
• Pupa – pupation – soil, Pupal Period: 10 – 12
days
• Adult – white wings with dark markings
 Pest incidence
• Anomis flava – ( Heavy rainfall – larva occurs
epidemically)
• Xanthodes graellsi – (Continuous wet weather
– more common in occurrence)
• Tarache nitidula – (Occurs occasionally
coincides with monsoon showers)
 Management
• Removal and destruction of affected plants
• Early stage larvae found in clusters and handpicking
and destruction of grown up caterpillar to minimize
heavy build.
• Spray the following the chemicals
• Trizophos 40 EC @ 2.5 lit/ha,
• Emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 220g/ha,
• Spinosad 45 SC 167 ml/ha,
• Indoxacarb 14.5 SC @ 517 ml/ha,
• Flubendiamide 480 SC 100 ml/ha effectively reduces
the population
 Leaf roller, Sylepta derogata,
Pyraustidae: Lepidoptera
• Distribution: throughout India
• Host range: Cotton and
Bhendi
Symptoms of damage:
• Young larvae feed on the
epidermis of ventral surface,
roll the leaves and remain
inside and feed the rolled
portion
• It rolled – trumpets
• Plants defoliated in severe
attack
 Biology
• Eggs: Scaly eggs laid singly –
under surface. EP: 2 to 5 days
• Larva – glistening greenish
larva – dark head and
prothoracic shield. LP: 15 to 30
days
• Pupa – within leaf fold/ debris
in ground. PP: 6 12 days
• Adult – medium, whitish,
yellow with brown line and
markings
 Management
• Collect and destroy the affected leaves
• Spray the following the chemicals
• Trizophos 40 EC @ 2.5 lit/ha,
• Emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 220g/ha,
• Spinosad 45 SC 167 ml/ha,
• Indoxacarb 14.5 SC @ 517 ml/ha,
• Flubendiamide 480 SC 100 ml/ha effectively
reduces the population
 Tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura
Noctuidae: Lepidoptera
• Nature of damage; Early instar larva remain
gregarious and cause skeletonization.
• Later instar cause defoliation.
• Symptoms of damage: Skeletonization,
defoliation. Granular faecal pellets found
beneath canopy.
 Pest identification and life cycle
• Egg: Dirty white coloured eggs - cluster on
the under surface of the leaves - covered
with brown hair. EP: 3-4 days
• Larva: Pale brown with a greenish to violet
tinge. There are yellow and purplish spots
present in the sub-marginal area. LP: 20-28
days.
• Pupa: Pupation takes place in soil - earthen
cocoon for 7-11 days
• Adult: Adults are stout with wavy white
markings on the brown fore wings and
white hind wings having brown patch along
its margin
• Life cycle: Completed in 30-40 days during
summer and 120-140 days in winter season
 Management
• Collect egg masses and gregarious larvae and destroy
them.
• Monitor the emergence of adult moths by setting up
light traps
• Grow castor along border and irrigation channels as
indicator or trap crop.
• Grow lab-lab as intercrop with cotton @ 1:4 ratio
• Setup light trap at 1/ha or pheromone traps at 15/ha
with Pherodin SL lure.
• Hand pick grown-up larvae and kill them.
• Spray SlNPV for S. litura at 500 LE or 1.5x 1012 POB’s/ha
along with teepol 1ml/l in evening hours.
• Release of Telenomus remus @ 50,000 in 4
times (7-10 days interval)
Spray any one the following chemicals,
• Spinosad 45 SC @ 167 ml/ha,
• Indoxacarb 14.5 SC 517 ml/ha,
• Novaluron 10 EC @ 375 ml/ha and
• Emamectin benzoate 5 SG 220g/ha,
• Flubendiamide 480 SC 100 ml/ha or
• Spinetoram 11.7 SC 470-500 ml/ha or
• Flubendiamide 20 WG @ 300 ml/ha.
 Other/Minor pests
• Blister beetle, Mylabris pustulata,Meloidae,
Coleoptera
• Flower weevil, Amorphoidea arcuata,,
Curculionidae, Coleoptera
• Hairy caterpillar, Euproctis fraterna,
Arctididae, Lepidoptera
• Tobacco grasshopper, Atractomorpha
crenulata, Acrididae, Orthoptera