Paddy Swarming Caterpillar - High Yields Agro

Symptoms

Identification

Egg: eggs are spherical and creamy in colour, which are laid in a group covered over with grey hairs
Larva: caterpillars are light green with yellowish white lateral and dorsal stripes in the early stages and later become dark brown or grayish green in colour with a crescent shaped black spot on the side of each segment
Pupa: pupates in an earthen cocoon in soil. Pupa is dark brown and measures 16-17 mm long.
Adult: moth is medium sized, stout built dark brown with a conspicuous triangular black spot on the forewings. Hind wings are brownish white with thin black margins.

Management

Flood the nursery to expose the hiding larvae to the surface for birds to pick them up.
Allow ducks into the field to feed on the larvae.
Larvae perish in heavy rains, and are victims of various diseases, parasitism and predation.
Dig trenches around the infested field and place ashes in the trenches to make it difficult for the larvae to escape.
Insecticides should be the last resort for armyworm control. In nursery, drain the water and spray chlorpyriphos 20 EC @ 80ml + 20 lit of water for 8 cents.
In main field, spary Chlorpyriphos 20% EC @ 500 ml/ac during late evening in case of severe infestation.
Spray any following insecticides