Damage potential of primary fruit-piercing moths Eudocima and Rhytia spp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and their biointensive management in guava and mandarin orange

Fruit-piercing moths belongs to the genus Eudocima spp. and Rhytia hypermnestra (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are a major pests of ripening and semi-ripening fruits viz. citrus, guava, pomegranate, grapes, fig, sapota, mango, papaya and tomato in India. The damage potential of fruit-piercing moths (FPM) on number and weight basis revealed that the per cent damage in guava ranged from 0 %-22.64 % and 0 %-20.90 % respectively at Agricultural College and Research Institute (AC & RI), Madurai. In the field I of Palamedu area, per cent damage recorded in guava was 17.90 %-21.91 % (number basis) and 17.89 %-22.22 % (on weight basis) and in field II of Palamedu area, it was ranged from 17.22 %-22.65 % and 15.16 %-20.89 % respectively. Similarly, the mean per cent fruit damage was recorded to range from 13.29 %-24.46 % on number basis in mandarin orange at Lower Palani Hills. To manage the FPM, seven treatments viz. light trap, fruit trap, delta trap, neem oil 3 %, NeemSweet - P 60 EC at 0.24 %, Opuntia dillenii including untreated control were evaluated. The mean per cent fruit damage prior to first round of application in all the treatments were 23.89 %-25.91 %. The damage increased to 27.75 % in the untreated check during 14 days after treatment (DAT), however lesser extent of damage was recorded in treated plots. A minimum fruit damage of 15.35 % was recorded in the NeemSweet-P 60 EC-treated plot, followed by neem oil (3 %) with 16.67 % and fruit trap with 17.05 %. Considering the mean per cent reduction after the first round, it was significantly higher in NeemSweet-P 60 EC (44.18 %), neem oil (39.57 %) and fruit traps (38.23 %), as compared to the lesser reduction in Opuntia dillenii (13.74 %). Second round application significantly reduced the fruit damage, to an extent of 8.76 % at 7 DAT and 6.20 %-25.20 % at 14 DAT. The cumulative reduction was recorded low in NeemSweet-P 60 EC (11.42 %) and neem oil (13.16 %) whereas it was 30.75 % in the standard check. Corresponding mean per cent reduction over control was high in NeemSweet-P (62.86 %), neem oil (57.20 %) and fruit trap (51.15 %).