MAJOR PESTS OF

COTTON

Submitted by
Anjitha k p
4th sem msc zoology
 APHID
Aphis gossypii glover
Identification
Adults are small, greenish brown and soft-
bodied. Insects found in colonies on the tender
parts of the plants and under surface of the
leaves.
 Life cycle
The adults are exist both winged and wingless
forms.
The alate as well as apterous females multiply parth
enogenitically and viviparously.
In a day , a female may give birth to 8-20 nymphs.
Nymphs moult 4 times to become adult in 7-10days.
DAMAGE
 The damage cause both numphs and adults by sucking the plant
sap.
Severe infestation result in curling of leaves ,stunted
growth,gradual drying of leaves.
Black sooty mould develops on the honeydew of aphid when falls
on the leaves.
Management:chemical control, use of insecticides.
 THRIPS
IDENTIFICATION
Nymphs:- very minute, slender,yellowish and microscopic
Adult:-small,slender,yellowish to brown with fringed wings
with silvery shine.
 LIFECYCLE
• Adult female deposit eggs primarily into the cotyledons
and initial true leaves of cotton seedlings
• Larvae emerge from hatched egg in less than a week.
• Feed on leaf cells and grown to adult .
• Thrips can have multiple generation per year.
• DAMAGE
• Shriveling of leaves due to scarping of epidermis and
desaping.
• Attacked terminal buds have ragged edges. Slivery shine
on underside of the leaves.
• Finally plants have sickly appearance.
MANAGEMENT
• Seed treatment with imidacloprid 70WS 7g/kg protect
the crop from aphid, thrips up to 8weeks.
• Mechanical control by use of barriers ,sound
waves ,electricity radiation etc
• Biological control- parasitoid and by predators.etc.
 Cotton Leaf hopper
Amrasca biguttula
IDENTIFICATION
 Adults are about 3mm long and greenish yellow during the
summer ,acquiring a reddish tinge in winter.
 LIFE CYCLE

The female lay about 15 yellowish eggs on the underside of the

leaves.
The egg hatch in 4-11days and gives rise to nymphswhich are
wedge shaped and very active.
They suck cell sap from the underside of the leaves and passes
through six stages of growth.
They love for 5-7 weeks ,feeding constantly onthe plant juice.
The pest complete 7 generation in a year.
DAMAGE
Damage caused by both nymphs and adult whch suck sap from
the foliage & also due to injection of toxins to plant tissue.
The attacked leaves turn pale and then rust red,the leaves also
turn downward, dry up and fall to the ground
Owing to the loss of plant ,the citton balls also drop off.
MANAGEMENT
• Grow American cotton varieties which are resistant or
tolerant to leaf hopper attack.
• In panjab ,recommend varieties are F1861,F1378,F846etc
are moderately tolerant against leaf hopper attack.
• Spraying of insecticides
• At the time of sowing ,smear the cotton seed with
imidacloprid @5g/ky seed.
• Early sowing and close spacing of cotton reduce pest
infestation particularly if rain fall is heavy.
• Set up light trap to monitor the broods of leaf hopper and to
attract and kill.
 COTTON WHITE FLY
Bemisia tabaci
IDENTIFICATION
In winged stage ,they are 1.0-1.5 mm long and yellowish
bodies are slightly dusted with a white waxy powder.
They have 2 pairs of pure white wings and have
prominentlong hind wings
 LIFECYCLE
• The females lay stalked eggs singly on the underside of the
leaves, averaging 119 eggs per female.
• The egg hatch in 3-5 day during summer,5-33 days in winter.
• The nymphs feed on cell sap and frow into three stages to
form the pupae within 9-14 days in summer and in 17-81
days in winter .
• In 2-8 days ,the pupae change into whiteflies.The total life
cycle completed in 14-122 days .
DAMAGE
• Damage caused by both adult and nymphs by sucking plant
sap.
• In severe infestation plants become weak and affect
photosynthesis result in poor growth & yield of cotton.
• B.tabaci known to transmit a number of viral
diseases include,cotton leaf curl ,leaf curl diseasein
tobaco etc
MANAGEMENT
• Chemical control (same as in leaf hopper)
• spraying of insecticides.
 PINK SPOTTED BALL WORM
IDENTIFICATION
The adult is deep brown moth .There are blackish spot on
wings and margines on hind wings,and the margines of hind
wings are fringed. The larvae are pink colored found inside
flower buds , panicles and bolls of cotton.
 LIFE CYCLE
• Female lays eggs singly on the under side of young leaves
flower buds and young green bolls.
• Larvae hatch out in one week . Soon after emergence they
enter to the flower buds ,flowers and bolls.
• Young larvae feed on leaves and flower buds initially .Then
they bore to pods ,continue to feed on seed kernals and
become fully grown .
• Undergo pupation on ground ,among falllen leaves.
• Within one week moths emerge .
DAMAGE
• Excessive shedding of fruit ing bodies. Young bolls fall off
pre maturely .
• Lower oil extraction,inferior spinning quality,damaged seed
cotton.
MANAGEMENT
Cultural and mechanical control
• Collection and burning of infested and fallen leaf
balls and sticks
• deep ploughing of the field to kill pupae and
hibernating larvae.
• Chemical control
spraying of crops with BHC DDT ,endrin etc with
15 days interval
fumigation of cotton seeds with methyl bromide.
• Biological control by release of trichogramma
spp(parasitoid) eggs at weekly intervals.
 AMERICAN BALL WORMS
IDENTIFICATION
The adult moth is about 35-40 mm acrosswith yellow
/orange fore wings that bear a single dark spot and paler
second wing with distal stripe.
LIFE CYCLE
The female cotton ball
worms lay several hund
rad eggs - under favoura
ble condition the egg hatch to larvae- deveral days later
larvae undergo pupation inside a silken coccoon over
10-15 days in soil
Then emerge as moth.
 DAMAGE
• The buds flowers and young bolls are pierced and
shed to the ground.
• The older bolls are perforated and the contents are
partially eaten result in rotting.
• The growing points of young plants are famaged by
larvae.
• MANAGEMENT
Use of insecticides.
 STEM WEEVIL
Pempherulus affinis
IDENTIFICATION
The adult is dirty brown or greyish black weevil, about
3 cm in length . The grub is slightly curved
,creamy white ,with a distinct head.
 LIFE CYCLE

• During an oviposition period of 60-80 days , a female may lay upnto 121
eggs
• The eggs hatch in 6-10 days and the grubs feed inside the soft stem
tissue .
• The development completed in 35-57 days and the pupation takesplace
inside the stem.
DAMAGE
• The grub make tunnel within the stem,that portion swells - are usually
seen on the base of stem .
• under strong winds the affected plant may break at swellings
• Pest causes plant mortality upto 25 per cent.
MANAGEMENT
• Collection and destruction of affected plants .
• Apply 5 literlitof20EC in 315-375 liters of waterper hr at days intervals
commencing 3 weeks after sowing.
 RED COTTON BUG
Dysdercus koenigii
IDENTIFICATION
The bugs are elongated , slender insects,crimson red
with white bands across the abdomen. The
membranous portion of their forewings ,antennae and
scutellum is black
 LIFE CYCLE
• The bug lay 100-130eggs in moist soils.
• They hatch in 7-8 days and the young nymphs have flabby
abdomens ,but as they grow older ,they become mor slender
and develop black markings on body
• There are 5 nymphal stages and development is completed
in 49-89 days
DAMAGE
• The insect suck cell sap from green balls and leaves of
cotton.
• Heavily attacked bolls open badly and the seed produced
have low germination and less oil .
MANAGEMENT
Same as in leaf hopper
 DUSKY COTTON BUG
Oxycarenus hyalinipennis costa
IDENTIFICATION
The adults are 4-5 mm in length and have dirty white
transparent wings. The young nymphs are and adult are
wingles.Adult -elongated ,slender crimson red with
white band across the abdomen.
 LIFECYCLE

• The cigar shaped eggs are lay between the lint and the calyx
in half opened cotton balls.
• Initially they are whitish turning pale and finally becoming
light pink before hatching.
• The egg stage lasts 5-110 days and the nymphs,on
emerging ,passes through 7 stages ,completely develope in
31-40 days.
DAMAGE
• Both nymphs and adult suck the sap from immature seeds
And these seeds may not ripen, lose colour and remain in
light weight.
MANAGEMENT:- same as in leaf hopper
 COTTON LEAF ROLLER
Sylepta derogata
IDENTIFICATION
Moths are yellowish -white ,with black and brown spots on the
head and thorax .
They measure about 2.8-4.0 cm across spread wings and have dark
brown wavy lines on the wings.
The Caterpillar are greenish grey or pink and measure 2.8-3.0 when
fully grown.
 LIFECYCLE
• The female moth lay 200-300 eggs singly on underside of the
leaves.
• The egg hatch in 2-6 days and the young Caterpillar feed first on
the surface of the leaves.
• The larvae grow through 7 stagesand then pupate either on the
plant or inside the rolled leaves.
DAMAGE
• The larvae feed on cotton leaves.
• In severe infestation, the plant may be completely defoliated .
• Young larvae feed on the lower epidermis of leaves while older
larvae roll up the leaves from the edges towards mid rib.
MANAGEMENT
Same as in case of pink ball worm.