About Hairy caterpillars

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Module II Economically Important Insect Pests
Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics
Lesson 2 Hairy Caterpillars
About Hairy caterpillars Several species of
hairy caterpillars attack groundnut. Two species
of red hairy caterpillars are important. While
one species is found in south India, the other
one in the northern states. Both species can be
devastating, but are highly sporadic. Earlier
they were key pests of groundnut. Now they are
unpredictably important in isolated pockets.
Course on Insect Pests of Groundnut
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About Hairy Caterpillars The adults are white
moths with brownish forewings (Top Fig.). The
adults emerge from the soil at the onset of the
southwest monsoon (usually in June). Females
lay 800-1000 eggs in clusters of 50-100 on
groundnut and other host plants.
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About Hairy Caterpillars The larvae are
initially light brown, but turn reddish as they
grow. Their 'hairiness' makes them conspicuous,
especially the larger ones. After completely
defoliating the crop in the field, they migrate
to the next groundnut field.
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About Bihar Hairy Caterpillars Bihar hairy
caterpillar is widely distributed in Andhra
Pradesh, Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Haryana, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh
in India. The adult is a brown moth. The
forewings have black spots and the abdomen is red
with black spots. Eggs are laid in clusters of
50-100.
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About Bihar Hairy Caterpillars The larvae
measure up to 5 cm and are covered with long
yellowish to black hairs (Fig.). Their damage
to groundnut foliage is similar to that of other
species of hairy caterpillars.
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Crop Damage Hairy caterpillars scarp the under
surface of the leaf in their early stages. The
scrapped patches of the leaves can be easily
detected. Full-grown larvae devour the entire
foliage, flowers and growing points.
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• Management
• Hand picking of larvae, and collection and
  destruction of egg masses are effective in
  reducing the larval population.
• Planting of barnyard millet around the groundnut
  field may act as strong physical barrier. Such a
  barrier reduces the cost of insecticide use.
• Use of light traps soon after the monsoon for
  20-45 days and collecting and killing of adult
  moths are effective.

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• Management
• Migrating larvae of hairy caterpillar from one
  field to another can be checked by digging
  trenches across the direction of their march, and
  destroy them.
• Distribute small balls of poison bait in the
  field. The poison bait is prepared by mixing 10
  to 12 kg rice bran, 1 kg jaggery and one liter
  Quinolphos. Or, use the bait as described for
  tobacco caterpillar.

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• Management
• Dusting of Carbaryl or Quinolphos at 25-30 kg/ha
  controls young larvae.
• Use of 200 ml Dichlorovos 100 EC in 400 liters of
  water/ha may be used to control grown up
  caterpillars. or
• Spray Endosulfan 2 ml/liter or Monocrotophos 1.6
  ml/liter or Quinolphos 2 ml/liter of water or
  Cypermethrin 1 ml/liter of water .

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Module II Economically Important Insect Pests
Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics
The Lesson 2 on Hairy caterpillars
concludes. The Lesson 3 is about Gram Pod Borer
that affects groundnut crop. The subsequent
Lessons describe other economically important
insect pests in groundnut crop. Select Lesson 3
in Module II from Course contents
Course on Insect Pests of Groundnut