Symptoms

• Plants are damaged by caterpillars.
• Larvae feed on tender leaves and skeletonize them.
• In the case of severe attack, leaves including midribs are eaten away and the fields look as if grazed by the cattle.
• Larvae excrete faecal matter in the form of pellets which are seen in the plant whorls.
• Larvae also damage immature ears.
• The incidence is more severe when good rain follows dry period.

Management

• Hand picking and destruction of larvae
• As the larvae are active at night, spraying in the evening is more advantageous

Chemical Control