Leaf Eating Caterpillar (Opisina arenosella)

Symptoms

• The caterpillar feeds on green matter from the lower leaf surface, remaining within galleries of silk and frass. The attack will be severe during summer months from January-May.

Management

• Surveillance, monitoring, early detection of the pest and destruction of severely affected fronds.
• Augmentative release of stage-specific parasitoids (4-6 times) viz.,
  • Larval parasitoids Goniozus nephantidis (Bethylidae) @ 20 parasitoids/palm, Bracon brevicornis (Braconidae) @ 30 parasitoids/palm
  • Pre-pupal parasitoid Elasmus nephantidis (Elasmidae) @ 49 parasitoids/100 prepupae
  • Pupal parasitoid Brachymeria nosatoi (Chalcididae) @32 parasitoids/100 pupae at the appropriate time of stage-specificity.
  • Conditioning of parasitoids on larval frass before field release would enhance field. level parasitism
• Provide adequate irrigation and adopt moisture conservation measures (mulching, husk burial) during summer
• Balanced application of NPK fertilizers (500:320:1200) along with neem cake @5 kg/ palm per year.
• Recycling of organic biomass, raising of suitable green manure crops like cowpea or sunn hemp in coconut basin and its incorporation in soil at flowering