Pigeonpea and Chickpea Insect Identification Handbook - Agropedia

P o d Borers
Helicoverpa (Heliothis) armigera ( H u b n e r )
Helicoverpa zea ( B o d d i e )
Helicoverpa punctigera ( W a l l e n g r e n )
Heliothis virescens (F.)
( L e p i d o p t e r a : N o c t u i d a e )
D i s t r i b u t i o n . Helicoverpa armigera (Fig. 58) is widely
d i s t r i b u t e d on many host plants t h r o u g h o u t the t r o p i c s
and s u b t r o p i c s but not in the A m e r i c a s w h e r e it is replaced
by H. zea and Heliothis virescens. In Australia, both Helicoverpa
punctigera and H. armigera attack p i g e o n p e a .
S y m p t o m s . Helicoverpa s p p d e s t r o y buds, flowers, and
pods. If f l o w e r s and p o d s are not available, t h e y feed u p o n
leaflets (Fig. 59), leaving the veins. On p o d s , c o n s p i c u o u s
holes are m a d e by the entry of larvae. Usually d e v e l o p i n g
and partly m a t u r e d seeds are eaten c o m p l e t e l y . At times a
p o r t i o n of the seed and testa remain.
D e s c r i p t i o n a n d b i o l o g y . Helicoverpa spp lay their
small w h i t e eggs (Figs. 60 and 61), usually singly, on the
upper and o u t e r surfaces of leaves, f l o w e r s , pods, and
stems. T h e y o u n g larvae feed by scraping green tissue and
Continued
Figure 58. Male (left) and female (right) moths of H e l i c o -
verpa armigera.
Figure 59. H. armigera damaging pigeonpea leaves.
Figure 60. H. a r m i g e r a egg.
Figure 61. Electron micrograph of H. a r m i g e r a egg.
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