Armyworm / Ear cutting caterpillar: Mythimna separata Walker

                                                        Lepidoptera : Noctuidae

Kannada name : Tene kattarisuva hulu

Vernacular name : Sainika Hulu

It is a sporadic pest, during years of heavy rainfall. The larvae are gregarious in habit and are commonly known as armyworm.

Period of occurrence:  Panicle Initiation to Earhead stage

Extent of yield loss: 60%

Alternate hosts: Weeds (Echinocloa colona, Eleusine coracana)

Damaging stage of the insect: Caterpillar

Factors favouring insect damage:

• Presence of many alternate hosts
• Periods of drought followed by heavy rains
• Dryland and wetland fields

Pest description: 

Eggs: In overlapping rows between leaf sheath and stem.

Larva: The caterpillar is long and greenish black with longitudinal pale stripes

Pupa: The pupa is 13.0 to 20.0 mm long. It is dark brown.

Adult: Stout and red brown in colour.

         The insect completes two generations during July to December.

Damage symptoms:

• Early instar larvae skeletonise the leaves whereas later instar larvae are voracious feeders on leaves during night.

                                                 

            Panicles are cut off from the base (IRRI)                            Fed upon leaf blades (IRRI)