| Common Species: | |
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Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner, 1809) |
| Common Name: | |
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cotton bollworm |
|
corn earworm |
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Old World (African) bollworm |
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tobacco budworm |
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gram pod borer |
| Damaging Stage: | |
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Larvae
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| Crops Afected: | |
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Cucurbits, solanaceous, legumes, cotton, tobacco, onion
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| Characteristics Damage: | |
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Attacks flowers, fruits and leaves.
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Feeding causes holes in the affected areas. Larvae creates holes as they bore into the fruits, they consume the flesh leaving the fruit hollow. |
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Frass are usually found alongside the feeding hole or within the fruit cavity. |
| Control and Management: | |
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Monitor the area regularly.
|
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Hand pick the larvae to reduce the population. |
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Remove weeds and volunteer plants that may serve as alternate hosts. |
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Cultivate the soil by plowing and harrowing and use plastic mulch to minimize pupation in the soil. |
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Use of natural enemies like Trichogramma spp.. |
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Plant trap crops like sunflower, taro or castor plants around the area. |
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Use of pathogens like the nuclear polyhedrosis virus and entomopathogenic fungi Aspergillus flavus, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae to reduce cutworm population. |
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Apply botanical insecticide like neem extract. |
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Apply lamda-cyhalothrin (e.e. Karate®), tebufenozide (e.g. Mimic®) and fipronil (e.g. Ascend®) when necessary. |
| References: | |
