Red hairy caterpillar (Amsacta albistriga)

Symptoms

• The larvae feed leaves together by scraping the undersides of young leaves.
• Later they attack extends to leaves and main stems of plants.
• They move from one field to another in groups.
• If a field is severely affected, it looks like it's been grazed by cattle.
• Sometimes, the pods of plants are completely destroyed.
• They can attack a variety of crops including maize, sorghum, green gram, sesame, pearl millet, finger millet, groundnut, sunhemp, castor, and cotton

Management

• Collection and destruction of newly hatched larvae.
• Plough the field during summer to destroy pupae.
• Set light traps at 4 weeks after sowing to attract and kill the moths.
• Dig out a trench around the field to avoid the migration of caterpillars, trap larvae and kill them.
• Use nuclear polyhedrosis virus @ 250 LE/ha.

Chemical Control

Extremely Toxic

Highly Toxic

Moderately Toxic

Slightly Toxic