PINK BOLLWORM

Pectinophora gossypiella (Gelechiidae : Lepidoptera)

IDENTIFICATION

- Moth dark brown, small insect, wings span about 12 mm
- Forewings greyish yellow, with blackish spot in middle
- Hind wings silvery grey with curved outer margin
- Legs and antennae bear a number of blackish rings

LIFE HISTORY
Egg: 4 – 5 days
Larva: 14 days
Pupa : 5 – 6 days
Adult : 2 – 29 days
Number of generations: 4 generations per year
Active period: August to end of the crop season

DAMAGE
- Larvae bore into the buds and flowers

- Attacked buds either shed or remain attached with the plants.

- Lint becomes stunted, blackish, unpickable and valueless, in severe attack.

- Oil contents of the seeds, spinning quality of fiber and ginning percentage, are all badly affected

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM)

- Rotavate cotton fields immediately after harvesting

- Grazing of sheep and goats after final picking

- Do not keep heaps of cotton sticks after 15th March

- Pheromone traps may be installed on the heaps of cotton sticks @ 1 per heap during April – May, when the crop is in the field