Symptoms of damage:

• These hairy caterpillars scrap the under surface of the leaf when they are in neonate stage
• Later the scrapped patches of the leaves looks like thin papery
• Fully grown larvae devour the entire foliage, flowers and growing points

Identification of the pest:

• Larvae: hairy caterpillar reddish brown with black band on either end having long reddish brown hairs all over the body
• Adult: moth with white wings

Amsacta albistriga:

• Forewing- white with brownish streak all over and yellowish streak along the anterior margin and head
• Hind wing- white with black markings

Amsacta moorei:

• Forewing - white with brownish streak all over and reddish streak along the anterior margin and head

Management:

• Collection and destruction of egg masses and hand picking of larvae
• The barnyard millet ( Echinochloea frumentacea ) may act as strong barrier
• Summer ploughing and poison baiting
• Erection of light traps soon after the monsoon for 20-45 days, collecting and killing of adult moths are found to be very effective
• The dispersing larvae of hairy caterpillar from one field to another can be checked by digging trenches across the direction of their march, and prompt destruction of larvae
• Vegetative traps utilizing Jatropha (wild castor) or Ipomea prevent the migration of the grown up larvae
• Prepare small balls with10 kg rice bran+1 kg jaggery+1 liter quinolphos broad-cost in the fields preferably in the evening times
• Spray dimethoate 2ml, 2 ml/lit of water