Insects and diseases affecting sugarcane in

Mauritius and their management

 Diseases - General

Major sugarcane diseases in Mauritius

Bacteria Gumming, Leaf scald

Fungus Yellow Spot, Rust, Smut

Symptoms on leaf

Irregular spots - yellowish red, : 10 mm

yellow spot
 Yellow Spot

Symptoms

Initial infection Later stages: lspots

are reddish on some
varieties
 Yellow spot

R 579 – Highly susceptible variety - 40% infection

Riche en Eau - 2003

 Yellow spot

Epidemiology
- high humidity (80%) and moderate Control
temperature (March - May) - resistant varieties
Economic importance - delay harvest
- not important in dry conditions - application of fungicide
- in humid conditions severe in to reduce infection but not
susceptible vars practical and not
- destruction of leaves recommended
- infected cane : high levels of reducing
sugars affecting juice purity
- up to 30% reduction in sugar
- cane yield reduced by up to 25%
- less pronounced effect in non-flowering
varieties
Brown rust
Brown rust

Young canes infected by the

brown rust
 Brown rust

Transmission
- wind and rain
Economic importance
• Up to 50% loss in susceptible varieties

Factors favouring the disease

- cool and humid

Control measures
- resistant varieties
- date of plantation to avoid the disease
- selective fungicides e.g. mancozeb
 Smut
Symptoms
- length of whip varies from a few cm to up
to 1.5 m
- whips shorter in ratoons but more numerous
- whip covered by a thin membrane
- growth of the stalk stops and the cane dies
- infected stalks are long, and weak with short
leaves
- thin leaves
- maximum number of whips at 6-7 months
Conditions favourable for the disease
- warm and dry
Smut
- more important in rainfed cane

Transmission
- Wind: each whip produces more than 108 spores per day (100 000 000)
- Cuttings: infection can be latent in the bud
- Soil: less important under humid conditions, spores do not survive humid conditions

Economic importance
- Very important in dry regions of Africa
- Affects:
• Number of millable stalks
• Cane diameter
• Cane yield and
• Sugar recovery
Control measures Smut
• healthy cuttings from nurseries
• hot water treatment of cuttings 52oC/30 min
and a fungicide dip
• replantation of severely infected fields
• roguing:
• Resistant varieties
• Crop rotation
• Flooding
Pineapple disease
 Pineapple disease
Transmission
Spores transmitted by the soil which infect the cuttings, by the ends, borer tunnels,
cracks

Economic importance
- poor germination
- recruiting necessary or need to replant

Control measures
Dip cuttings at planting in:
• thiophanate-methyl (Topsin) at 0.6 ml/litre

•Hot water Treatment (s)

 Gumming
Causal agent:
Xanthomonas axonopodis
pv. vasculorum
Distribution: 25 countries
Infection: through injuries
Stripes 4-5 mm wide
 Gumming- symptoms
• Milky exudation from the infected tissue observed under
microscope
• In resistant varieties the stripes are short
• in susceptible varieties strip can extend up to the leaf sheath,
the bacteria subsequently enters the shoot… systemic stage of
the disease
Symptoms of the systemic stage:
• deformed stalks
• knife cut lesions
• chlorosis
• reddening of nodes
• Gum pockets
 Gumming - symptoms

Knife cut lesions

 Gumming - symptoms
Exudation of gum

Chlorosis
 Gumming
Transmission
• Water and wind,
• Infected cuttings
• By knives when preparing cutings or during harvest
Conditions favouring development of disease
• Strong winds, rains, high humidity, high temperature
• Effect on yield is more important when the plant is stressed at
maturity and cool weather.
• Reduction of 19 – 40% in cane yield and 9 -19% in sugar yield
observed.
 Gumming

Control measures

•Resistant varieties

•Destruction of infected fields

•Disinfection of knives during preparation of cuttings

•Setting up of nurseries after HWT of cuttings: 50 oC/30

min and 50 oC/ 2h

• Plantation of cutting of healthy cuttings from Nurseries

• Elimination of infected plants

• Elimination of host plants

 Leaf scald
• Causal agent: bacteria (Xanthomonas albilineans)
• Recorded in 60 countries
• Symptoms variable depending on:
- foliar stage
- chronic phase
- acute phase
- latent phase
Symptoms – foliar phase
• Narrow yellowish stripes (2 mm) , more towards leaf tips
 Leaf scald
Symptoms: chronic phase
Pencil white lines Curling of leaves

Red line
 Leaf scald
Symptoms: chronic phase

Chlorosis
 Leaf scald
Symptoms: phase chronique
Reddening of nodes and internodes
 Leaf scald

Transmission
- rain and wind
- infected cuttings
- knives and harvesters
Host plants
- Several weed species
Conditions favourable for development of the disease
- humid and cold or warm and dry
Economic importance
- Cane yield, juice quality are affected depending in the degree of
infection
 Leaf scald

Control measures
- Resistant varieties
- Cold soak of cuttings (48 h) followed by HWT 50 oC/ 3 h
- Use of healthy cuttings from nurseries
- elimination of infected plants
- disinfection of knives, harvester blades,
 CONTROL OF SUGAR CANE DISEASES

Varietal resistance
HOST PLANT Chemical treatment
Good growth conditions

DISEASE TRIANGLE

PATHOGEN ENVIRONMENT
Disease-free cuttings Adapted variety
Uprooting (roguing) of diseased plants
Date of plantation
Eradication of infected fields
Knife disinfection Good drainage
Alternative hosts

Effective control of diseases is achieved by taking into account the three

components of the triangle. This is known as Integrated Control
 METHODS OF DISEASE CONTROL

1. Varietal resistance
2. Sanitation

3. Heat treatment

4. Nurseries

5. Cultural practices

6. Chemical treatment

7. Legislation and quarantine

 VARIETAL RESISTANCE

Assessment of varieties performed in resistance trials:

Test varieties are inoculated with the pathogen or are exposed to the disease under
natural conditions
Method of choice depends on the disease:

Bacteria: Artificial inoculation often adopted

Gumming
Spreader rows of susceptible varieties
inoculated with bacterial suspension
Transmission to test varieties takes place in a
natural way
 VARIETAL RESISTANCE

Leaf scald
Direct inoculation simulating knife transmission
 VARIETAL RESISTANCE

Fungi Exposure to the disease in a suitable environment (downy mildew, rust

and yellow spot).
For uniform infection, test varieties sandwiched between contaminating
rows of susceptible varieties

Downy mildew Maize varieties planted in interrow to provide inoculum

Red rot Direct inoculation on the stalk

Smut Direct inoculation

• by immersing cuttings in spore suspension
• bud inoculation (Brazil)
Indirect procedure using spreader rows (Mauritius).
 VARIETAL RESISTANCE

The inclusion of a series of standard varieties, replicated plots, uniform exposure to

the disease and re-testing are essential for the accurate determination of reaction
of varieties.

Ratings to diseases is based on:

- symptom severity (leaf symptoms, shoot symptoms, mortality
- % infected stalks
- leaf area infected or extent of tissue invasion by pathogen
0% 5% 10% 20% 40% 60% 80% 99%

Yellow spot – leaf area infected

 VARIETAL RESISTANCE

ISSCT SCALE FOR RATING DISEASES

GRADE REACTION CATEGORY

0 Immune
1 Very highly resistant
Resistant
2 Highly resistant
3 Resistant
4 Moderately resistant
5 Intermediate Intermediate
6 Slightly susceptible
7 Susceptible
8 Highly susceptible Susceptible
9 Very highly susceptible
 VARIETAL RESISTANCE

Stage in breeding programme for screening depends:

- on importance of the disease under local conditions
- easiness of carrying out the testing procedure
- efficiency as well as reliability of testing method

In Mauritius screening is performed as follows:

- Gumming, yellow spot and smut: Year 5 (50 varieties)
- Leaf scald and rust: Year 8 (12-15 varieties)

It is thus necessary to test a variety thoroughly:

¾ Gumming: plant cane

¾ Leaf scald and rust: plant cane + first ratoon

¾ Yellow spot and smut: plant cane up to second ratoon

 VARIETAL RESISTANCE

Changes in the reaction of a variety may occur due to :

ƒFailure in the testing procedure, if the right method is not

adopted
ƒ Absence of adequate inoculum pressure

ƒ Appearance of new strains

 SCREENING OF SUGARCANE VARIETIES TO DISEASES

GUMMING DISEASE (injection method)

Vs
Vs V1 Vs V2 Vs V3 Vs S1 Vs

Vs
Vs V4 Vs V5 Vs S2 Vs V6 Vs

Vs

Vs Susceptible variety (1.5 m) - artificially inoculated

V1, V2,... Varieties under test (3 m row) exposed to the disease
S1, S2, ... Standard varieties (3 m row) - not inoculated
M 31/45 (R), M 442/51 (SS) M 147/44, M377/56 (HS)

Replicates: none

Evaluation: plant cane only

 SCREENING OF SUGARCANE VARIETIES TO DISEASES

LEAF SCALD (decapitation method)

Vs
V1 V2 S1 V3

Vs
V4 S2 V5 V6

Vs

Vs Susceptible variety - artificially inoculated

V1, V2, V3, ... Varieties under test (6 m row) - inoculated
S1, S2, ... Standard varieties (6 m row) - inoculated
Replicates: two

Evaluation: plant cane and first ratoon

 SCREENING OF SUGARCANE VARIETIES TO DISEASES

YELLOW SPOT (exposure method)

Vs (B 3337)
Vs V1 Vs V2 Vs V3 Vs S1 Vs

Vs (S 17)
Vs V4 Vs V5 Vs S2 Vs V6 Vs

Vs (B 3337)

Vs Susceptible variety - natural inoculum

V1, V2, V3, ... Varieties under test (3 m row)
S1, S2, ... Standard varieties (3 m row)

Replicates: two

Evaluation: plant cane, first and second ratoons

 SCREENING OF SUGARCANE VARIETIES TO DISEASES

SMUT

• Experimental layout as for yellow spot

• Inoculum lines of susceptible variety inoculated by dipping

cuttings in spore suspension

• Varieties under test and standard varieties exposed to the disease

• Replicates: at least 2 (controls only 2/3 reps depending on space)

• Evaluation: plant cane, first and second ratoons

RUST

• Experimental layout as for yellow spot using natural inoculum

• Replicates: at least two

• Evaluation: plant cane and first ratoon

 SANITATION

= elimination of sources of infection

A - Roguing: removal of disease stools from nurseries or commercial fields.

The roguing can be chemical or manual (e.g. smut)

B - Elimination of secondary hosts:

e.g. mosaic: sugar cane (main host), cynodon (2nd host)

C - Disinfection of knives and harvesters:

Disinfection at harvest, especially when moving from one
field to another and in the preparation of cuttings.
Use of iodine solution at 125 ppm at harvest and 250 ppm
when cuttings are prepared for the effective control of
gumming, leaf scald and RSD
D - Destruction of residues:
Burning or burying of residues as they are a source of infection
when left in the field e.g. Red rot (Glomerella tucumanensis spores)
 HEAT TREATMENTS

Basically four methods:

¾ Hot water

¾ Hot air

¾ Moist hot air

¾ Aerated steam
 HEAT TREATMENTS

Hot water treatment

Hot water treatment (HWT) consists of either:
• short hot water treatment (SHWT - 50° C for 30 min) or
• long hot water treatment (LHWT - 50°C for 2 h or 3 h)

Depending on varieties, if a negative effect on germination is observed,

LHWT can be replaced by the dual hot water treatment
(DHWT: SHWT followed by LHWT after 16-24 h)
The pre-treatment (SHWT) conditions the cuttings to undergo the LHWT.

SHWT: inactivates the chlorotic streak pathogen

DHWT: is effective against RSD, but is not as effective against leaf scald
 HEAT TREATMENTS

Cold soak long hot water treatment (CSLHWT):

Recommended to control leaf scald
Consists of soaking cuttings in running water for 48 h and then hot water
treatment at 50°C for 3 h.

Smut-free cuttings obtained after treating at 52 °C for 30 min

 NURSERIES

Nursery system of sugar cane

Enables production of planting material free from systemic diseases such as
gumming, leaf scald, ratoon stunting, smut,chlorotic streak.
 NURSERIES

SCHEME FOR THE MULTIPLICATION OF VARIETIES IN NURSERIES

CUTTINGS

DHWT (50 °C/30 min + 50 °C/2h)

A NURSERY (x ha)

SHWT (50 °C/30 min)

B NURSERY (8x ha)

SHWT (50 °C/30 min)

COMMERCIAL PLANTATIONS (64x ha)

 CULTURAL PRACTICES

Reducing the impact of diseases

¾ Soil preparation : good drainage, e.g. chlorotic streak

¾ Planting material: disease-free material from nurseries

¾ Planting method: planting on ridges rather than in furrows

¾ Date of plantation/harvest: e.g. rust and red rot – avoid cool and wet weather,
yellow spot: delay harvest

¾ Ideal conditions of growth (fertilisation and water)

 CHEMICAL TREATMENT

Treatment of cuttings

Pineapple disease:
• thiophanate-methyl at 0.30 g a.i./litre in cold dip or 0.15 g a.i./litre in hot dip
• difenoconazole: 0.25 g a.i/litre (cold dip) or 0.125 g a.i/litre in hot dip

Smut: triadimefon at 0.50 g a.i./l

QUARANTINE
MAIN SUGAR CANE PESTS IN MAURITIUS

Moth borers
Chilo sacchariphagus (Crambidae)
Sesamia calamistis (Noctuidae)
Tetramoera schistaceana (Eucosmidae)
MAIN SUGAR CANE PESTS IN MAURITIUS

Scale insects
Aulacaspis tegalensis (Diaspididae),
Pulvinaria iceryi (Coccidae)
MAIN SUGAR CANE PESTS IN MAURITIUS

White grubs
Heteronychus licas, Alissonotum piceum (Dynastidae)
Phyllophaga smithi (Melolonthidae)
MAIN SUGAR CANE PESTS IN MAURITIUS

Armyworms
Mythimna spp. (Noctuidae)
MANAGEMENT OF SUGAR CANE PESTS

• Relies essentially on biological control and cultural practices that

favour development of natural enemies.
• Insecticides never applied on a large scale or routinely against
sugar cane pests.

Introduction of the Mynah bird Acridotheres tristis from India in

1763 for the control of red locusts Nomadacris septemfasciata
PHYLLOPHAGA SMITHI – parasitoid species introduced

Parasitoid Origin Year of introduction

Tiphia parallela Barbados 1913 - 1914

Campsomeris Madagascar,Puerto Rico, 1917 - 1939

spp. Java, Philippines,Rodrigues,
(24 species) S. Africa
the stem borer Chilo sacchariphagus
Biology
• Eggs laid on the leaf blades
• Newly hatched larvae crawl about rapidly and lodge themselves in
midribs or in rolled spindle leaves
• Young larvae feed on leaf tissue causing the typical ‘window’ and ‘bullet
hole’ symptoms.
• The older larvae move down to the leaf sheaths and bore into the shoots
from the side in the top soft internodes.
• Pupation - in the inner surface of a loose leaf sheath.
• Adults are nocturnal and hide during the day
Damage by the borer causes
• impaired growth of canes,
• side-shooting below the point of
attack,
• constriction of the stem in the region
of attack, and
• shortened internodes above the point
of attack.

• Death of stalk when infestation is severe.

• Damaged canes are prone to breakage

during strong winds
Chilo sacchariphagus
 Chilo sacchariphagus kept under control by
Xanthopimpla stemmator, Agathis stigmatera, Trichospilus diatraeae,
Cotesia flavipes, Trichogramma chilonis, Tetrastichus atriclavus

Xanthopimpla stemmator

Cotesia flavipes
Le borer rose (Sesamia)
Sesamia calamistis (pink borer)
Pulvinaria iceryi, the sugar
cane soft scale
Pulvinaria iceryi ‘Pou à poche blanche ’

Biology
• Life cycle simple
• All stages develop on leaves
• Males do not exist
• Reproduction through parthenogenesis
• Female stages :
• egg, 3 larval stages, adult
• Reproducing adult recognized by its white
ovisac
• Life cycle: 30 –60 d
Estimated sugar loss (1976/77):
15000 - 20000 T
Pulvinaria iceryi

• Wind dispersal depends on

•Intensity of infestation
•Presence of reproductive females
•Height and density of vegetation
•Wind speed and gusts
•Relative humidity
•Topography
• turbulence caused by vegetation or field borders

• Up to 3000 crawlers carried per m2 per hour

• > 15000 by crawling and wind dispersal
 Pulvinaria iceryi

Effects of infestation

•Loss of normal leaf colour and premature death

•Reduced growth

•Death of stools

•Reduced cane quality of surviving canes

•Poor ratooning of surviving stools

Depend on cane variety, age of cane and plant vigour

Pulvinaria iceryi

• Affects the sugar cane plant more than any other homopteran pest

• Causes premature death of leaves

• Even small larvae reduce cane growth

• Causes death of shoots, and stools

• Severity of damage depends on insects population and duration of

infestation
Pulvinaria iceryi

1
mm

Young stages are mobiles

Mature larvae
Well developped
ovisac

1
mm

Ovisac formation
1
mm
Pulvinaria iceryi
Pulvinaria iceryi
Pulvinaria iceryi
Infestations recorded over the past years
Year Area infested
(ha)
1998 23.0
1999 5.0
2000 161.5
2001 154
2002 101.1
2003 158+
2004 10.7+
2005 609
2006 50+
Factors responsible for recent infestations

Natural enemy habitat destruction –

• derocking,
• larger plots (plots exceeding 25 ha),
• no wild vegetation

Spread via the Centre Pivot

irrigation system
Pulvinaria iceryi

• Crawler movement limited

• Dispersal passive

•Clothes of field workers

•Cane cuttings

Even ovisacs can be dispersed

on clothing or cuttings
Leaf chlorosis
Premature death of leaves
Pulvinaria iceryi

• Feeds by inserting stylet in phloem tissues

• Sucks sap.
•Relative large amount is pumped
•Excrete honey dew
•Honey dew favours development of sooty mould
• Ants live as symbionts
Pulvinaria iceryi

• Ants live honeydew

• Cleaner/scavenger

• The insect does get entangled in its own honeydew

• Wards off predators and parasitoids

 Pulvinaria iceryi

Nature of losses

•loss of cane yield

•loss of millable sugar (reduced sucrose and purity)

•costs of recruiting and replanting

•poor ratooning
Cryptolaemus montzourieri
Australian origin, introduced from S Africa in 1938/39 for the
control of pineapple mealy bug

Head, pronotum and tip of elytra orange red,

Size: 4 mm

Voracious predator of Pulvinaria

Cryptolaemus montzourieri

Larva mimics Pulvinaria and other mealy bugs

Active at temperatures 22 – 25oC and R H 70 –80%

At temperatures < 16oC less active and less fecund

¾33oC slow development

Other hosts:

Scale insects,

mealy bugs (Icerya seychellarum),

Aphids (Melanaphis sacchari)

Exochomus laeviusculus
Origin: Madagascar
Widespread in Mauritius
Female : black head
Male: frons, clypeus and mouthparts yellow
Size: 3.2 – 3.7 mm
Other hosts:
¾Scale insects,
¾mealy bugs (Icerya seychellarum),
¾Aphids
Brumus suturalis
Body with yellowish longitudinal stripes
Both adult and larvae eat eggs
Other hosts
Tetranychus, Psyllids
Whiteflies, Aphids, Scale insects
Pulvinaria iceryi

Control
¾ Never apply insecticides to infested fields
¾ Do not replant fields near standing infested canes
¾ Cut back infested areas
¾ Planting materials should not be taken from infested fields
¾ Harvest attacked fields as soon as possible (stubble shave)
¾ Never burn fields or debris
Control strategies

Measures to favour natural control of the pest

Long term

Create habitat diversity –

• grow crops such as egg plants, hibiscus, herbe condé, eupatorium in

fallow areas

Medium term

1. Release of predators in regions where they are absent.

2. Cut back most severely infested part of field to allow predators and
parasitoids to migrate to less infested areas.
 the scale insect
Aulacaspis tegalensis
(Hemiptera: Diaspididae)
Distribution
Java, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaya, Mauritius, Philippines,
Réunion,Tanzania and Uganda

Biology
The life cycle
egg + two larval stages for females
egg +four larval stages for males.
Eggs laid under the female scale
First larval stage (the crawler) is the only mobile stage.
Life cycle (from egg to adult) lasts about 47 days in
females and about 32 days in males.

Fecundity :700 - 800 eggs

 Aulacaspis tegalensis Symptoms and damage

• Feeds on cane sap, preventing sucrose

accumulation

• > 34% reduction in IRSC.

• Rotting of canes.

• Poor germination of infested planting

material.

• Field carry-over
Factors affecting incidence

Prolonged dry spells

Leaf sheath tightness

In Mauritius:
• Lack of cane trashing favours increase in scale insect
population
• cane fires?
 What are white grubs?
… the larvae of some scarabeid beetles which feed on
underground parts of sugar cane and other crops
What are white grubs?
Alissonotum
Phyllophaga
piceum
smithi

Heteronychus licas
 Univoltine life cycle

1 2 3

Adults feed for 
1‐2 weeks

Slide courtesy: Tarryn Goble

White grub identification
y Adults can be identified by conventional taxonomists/
biosystematists
y BUT adults only available for 2.5 months per year

y Larvae available for 6 months or longer, but all look the same-
adults different?
y Different species- different biologies, natural enemies.

y Thus important to identify the larvae, molecularly and

morphologically in order to aid control
 Heteronychus licas

Field damage
 Heteronychus licas

Larva in cane sett

Heteronychus licas
Damage by the black beetle
Damage by the black beetle
 Heteronychus licas

Damage caused by adult

Loss caused by Heteronychus licas in Mauritius

Severe damage to plant canes can cause total destruction of fields which have to be replanted.

Damage to mature standing canes can decrease cane yields by more than 25%

¾ In addition to the direct losses in cane yields, damage by the white grub present added costs of
recruiting/replanting and insecticide application.
Economic importance of Heteronychus licas

Plant canes

•Cost of replanting one ha sugar cane after treatment with insecticides: ~ MUR
50 000 (1200 €)

• Yield loss (loss of one harvest, field cannot be harvested in the same year)
implies loss in revenue ~MUR 200,000/ha (5000 €)

Ratoons

Costs of recruiting (after treatment): ~ MUR 10 000

Yield loss (25 %): MUR 35000

Alissonotum piceus
 Control of white grubs
Cultural control
• ploughing,
• green manure,
• (trap crops!),
• planting resistant varieties,
• hand picking ,
• trapping

• Chemical control- complicated by long term nature of the crop, difficulty in treating
soil and white grub life cycle: Confidor® (imidacloprid)

Slide courtesy: Tarryn Goble

 Control of white grubs

•Predators- birds, carabids, robber flies

•Parasitoids- wasps (Scolia & Tiphia), flies (Tachinidae)
•Pathogens-
• Nematodes: Steinernematidae, Heterorhabditidae & Mermithidae
•Viruses: Iridescent virus,
•Bacteria: Bacillus popilliae and B. laevolacticus, Serratia marcescens,
•Beauveria bassiana (SA)

Slide courtesy: Tarryn Goble

Use of chemicals – main control strategy

Many formulations/ chemistries tested and used

worldwide – but none gave long lasting results

Why?
• Resistant populations
• Environmental effects
• Costs

Incorrect species identification

• All scarab larvae grouped as ‘white grubs’
• Different species have different biology and ecology
• Leading to improper timing of insecticide application
 Control strategies for H.licas in Mauritius
yRely essentially on insecticides (threshold for treatment:
4 -5 larvae/stool)

Imidacloprid at 1 litre per ha

Thiamethoxam at 600 g per ha

Chlorpyrifos (CRF Suscon Blue®;plant cane) at 28 kg/ha

Use of insecticides is not sustainable and may

lead to environmental problems
Larvae of the white grub, Heteronychus licas, infected by Metarhizium anisopliae
Different types of light traps can be used to monitor the
population of the beetles and also for mass trapping
ARMYWORMS
are caterpillars of those species which feed massively
and migrate from one feeding site to another in search of
food
The most notorious armyworm species is the African
armyworm, Spodoptera exempta Walker
•In Mauritius, the species referred to as armyworms in sugar
cane are from the genus Mythimna.

•Outbreaks occurred in 1959 and early 1960s (in young

regrowths of manually harvested, burnt fields)
•Outbreaks as from 1992
•mechanically harvested fields, whether burnt or not,
•associated with trash blanketing
Fire break – trash removed in four rows

Trash removed – no
armyworm Trash blanket - infested
 Male longevity: 11.1d (7 – 16)
Female longevity: 10.2d (4 – 16)
Fecundity: 668.4 eggs (207 – 1128)

Pupal stage
Life cycle of
armyworms Male: 10.7d (9 – 13)
Female: 9.2d (7 – 11)

Incubation : 3.46 d (2 – 6)

Larval stage
Male: 24.7d (19 – 31) / Female: 23.6d (19 – 32)
• Armyworms Mythimna spp.
• Management
• Chemical control

• Indoxacarb (Steward) Lcyhalothrin (Karate Zeon) and

thiodicarb (Larvin) - best products
• all chemicals had negative effects on trash-feeding caterpillars
• Effect of trash management practices
• Armyworms Mythimna spp.
• Management
•Natural control
• six species of larval parasitoids - ~ 21% parasitism
• one pupal parasitoid
• Entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae and
Paecilomyces sp. from larvae and pupae
CULTURAL CONTROL

Trash management ?

CHEMICAL CONTROL
Several insecticides have been tested and thiodicarb (Larvin) at
the rate of 1.5 g a.i. - more efficient
The following should be considered before attempting chemical
control of sugar cane armyworms
•Timing
•Economics of treatment
•Presence of parasitoids
•Presence of other trash caterpillars