Pink bollworm – responsible for damaging nearly 4 lakh acres of cotton in 2021 – has been recently observed in certain fields within the Bathinda and Mansa districts of Punjab.
About Pink Bollworm:
It is one of the most destructive pests of cotton.
Scientific name: Pectinophora gossypiella
Distribution: Originally native to India, it is now recorded in nearly all the cotton-growing countries of the world.
Description:
The adults are small moths about 3/8 inch long and are dark brownwith markings on the fore wing.
The larval stage is the destructive and identifiable stage.
The larvae have distinctive pink bands and can reach a length of ½ inches right before they pupate.
Ecological Threat:
Pink bollworms are major pests of cotton.
Adults only last for 2 weeks, but females will lay 200 or more eggs.
Adults lay eggs on cotton bolls; once hatched, the larvae eat the seeds and damage the fibres of the cotton, reducing the yield and quality.
When the larvae mature, they cut out the boll and drop to the ground and cocoon near the soil surface.
It has also been observed to attack hibiscus, okra, and hollyhock plants.
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