Rice ear cut caterpillar (Mythimna separate, Noctudiae, Lepidoptera)

• Also called armyworm.

Damaging stage: larva

Damaging symptoms: early instar larvae skeletonized the leaf whereas later instar larvae are voracious feeders on a leaf at night.

Identification

• Egg:- leaf sheath, lower surface of leaf, cluster, white
• Larvae:- yellowish – white stripes along the back and two others at the side
• Pupa: loose soil
• Adult:-forewings pinkish light brown with two pale spots, and the hind wings have prominent veins.

Life cycle:-

Eggs—-> 7-9 days—-> Larva—–> 20-25 days—-> Pupa—> 9-29days—> Adult

Management:-

• Deep plowing, flooding after crop harvest
• light trap
• Bacillus thuringiensis
• Larval; parasitoid : Cortesia ruficrus, tachinid flies, Apentalis spp
• Spinosad,multibeam product
• Choloropyriphus 50% + cypermethrin 5% @ 5-2 ml/l
• fenitrothion 50%Ec @1ml/l .