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Article ID: AEN-2021-02-02-012

Life Cycle and Identification of Sugarcane Insect/Pests

Dwarka Prasad Athya

PhD Research Scholar, Deptt of Entomology, Jawahar Lal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya,

Jabalpur- MP 482004

E-mail: dwarkaprasadjnkvv512@gmail.com

Sugarcane is one of the several species of the genus Saccharum, tribe Andropogoneae, native

to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia and Melanesia and used for sugar

production. Grown throughout sub-tropical and tropical parts of South and South-East Asia. India is

the second largest producer of cane sugar next to Brazil. Sugarcane infested by 287 species of insect

pests and non-insect pests. Out of them 14 are major pests of sugarcane in India. Sucrose, extracted

and purified in specialized mill factories, is used as raw material in human food industries or is

fermented to produce ethanol. Ethanol is produced on a large scale by the Brazilian and Indian

sugarcane industry. Sugarcane is the world's largest crop by production quantity. Sugarcane supports

one of the largest agro-processing industries of India and more than 6 million farmers are engaged in

its cultivation. Besides, about half a million skilled and semi-skilled workers, mostly from rural areas

are also engaged in the sugar industry. By 2030 AD, India will require nearly 33 MT of white sugar

for domestic consumption alone.

Production in India (2014-15): 278.29 lakh tons:

Deferent states Deferent country

Utter Pradesh 36% Brazil 28%

Mharashtra 24% India 18%

Karnataka 11% China 10%

TN 11% Thailand 8%

Uttranchal 2% Pakistan 3%

HR 2% Maxico 5%

Bihar 3% Other 28%

Punjab 2% Source: USDA

Andhra Pradesh 5%

Gujrat 4%

Source: Ministry of Agriculture, GoI

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Sugarcane pest status:

Region Common Name Scientific Name

Eastern India Root borer Emmalocera depresella

Throughout India Top shootborer Scirpophaga nivella

Shoot borer Chilo infuscatellus

North Western parts Gurdaspur borer Bissetia steniella

Woolly Aphid Ceratovacuna lanigera

Sugarcane leaf

hopper Pyrilla perpusilla

Root grub Holotrichia serrata and H. consanguinea

Scale insect Melanopsis glomerata

Termite Odontotermes obesus

Western UP, Haryana,

Northern Rajasthan Stalk borer Chilo auricilius

tropical India Mealy bug Saccharicoccus sacchari

Pyrilla and whitefly extremely destructive pests in certain years

Root grub and Termite Endemic pests

1. Early shoot borer, Chilo infuscatellus (Pyralidae: Lepidoptera) Eggs: Flat–scale like eggs are laid in 3-5 rows on the lower surface of leaves in masses of 4-100.

IP: 4-6Days

Larvae: Dirty white with five dark violet longitudinal stripes LP: 16-30 Days.

Pupa: Pupation takes within the tunnel. PP: 7-9 Days.

Adult: Straw coloured fore wings with black dot sand white hind wings 2-4days.

TLC: 5-6weeks.

Egg Mass Larvae Pupae Adult

Symptoms of damage

Attack 1-3 months old crop, and cause Dead heart, which can be easily pulled out.

Rotten portion of the straw coloured dead heart emits an offensive odour.

Number of Bored holes at the base just above the ground level.

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Damaged crop by Early shoot borer

2. Internode borer: Chilo sacchariphagus indicus (Pyralidae: Lepidoptera)

Egg: Oval to flat and shiny waxy white in colour which later turn grey.

Larvae: white body with dark spots.

Adult: Straw colour with dark spot on fore wings, dirty white to light brown hind wings (male) and

Silky white (female).

TLC: 50-70 days.

Eggs

5-6 days 37-53 days 7-8 days 3-4 days

Symptoms of damage

Constricted and shortened internodes.

Bored holes on internodes.

Frass in the Nodal region.

Reddening of affected tissues.

Fresh borer attack is mostly found in the top five immature internodes and its activity

continues till harvest.

Damaged crops by Internode borer

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3. Top shoot borer, Scripophaga excerptalis (Pyralidae: Lepidoptera)

Egg: in clusters covered with buff coloured hairs particularly near midribs on lower surface of top

leaves.

Larva: creamy white with a red coloured mid –dorsal line.

Pupa: Within the larval tunnel in a chamber with an exit hole constructed by the caterpillar.

Adult: White Coloured moth.

Egg-5-7 days Larva-4-5 weeks Pupa –7-9 days Adult-4-5 days

Symptoms of damage

Parallel rows of shot holes.

Bore holes at the top of the shoot and shows bunchy top appearance.

Dead heart reddish brown in colour.

Bunchy top due to growth of side shoots.

Caterpillars are mainly found in the apical portion of canes, boring through the growing point

and down the upper joints until it reaches the sappy portion of the stem.

Dead heart in grown up canes, which cannot be easily pulled.

Larva bore into unfolded leaves and shows parallel row of shot holes in the emerging leaves.

Parllel shot holes Bore hole Bunchy top appearance

4. Woolly Aphid: Ceratovacuna lanigera (Aphididae: Hemiptera)

Egg: spherical yellow in colour and microscopic.

Nymph: Nymph takes 6 to 22 days to complete four instars.

Adult: Adult emerged after fourth moult and viviparous reproduction. Apterous (Wingless)

female reproduce parthenogenetically.

Adult Nymph

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Symptoms of damage

Nymph and adults suck the sap from leaves.

Yellowing of leaves.

Honey dew excrete–development of sooty mould fungus.

White chalk powder coating on the ground and leaves.

Damaged crop woolly appearance

5. Sugarcane leaf hopper, Pyrilla perpusilla (Lophopodae: Hemiptera)

Eggs: Pale greenish yellow eggs in clusters on the underside of leaves, covered with a white

filamentous waxy material , 8-10 days.

Nymph: Newly hatched nymphs are milky white in colour. Feather like processes covered by wax. 8

weeks.

Adult: Adults are straw coloured with wings folded like a roof on the back 27-52 days.

Eggs Nymph Adult

Symptoms of damage Leaves become yellow.

Covered with black sooty mould.

Top leaves get dried up and lateral buds germinate.

Affect the quality of juice.

Affected crop Dried crop

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6. Root grub, Holotrichia serrataand H. Consanguinea (Melolonthidae: Coleoptera)

Egg: Pear like white enclosed in earthen cells. A female lays on an average of 27 eggs in the soil.

Grub: Fleshy ‘C’ shaped, whitish yellow in colour.

Pupa: Pupae are tan to brown, and occur deeper in the soil in earthen chambers.

Adult: Rusty-red colour just after emerging from the pupal stage, but turn nearly black.

Eggs Larvae Adult

Symptoms of damage Yellowing and wilting of leaves.

Drying of crown.

Affected canes come off easily.

Attack on roots symptoms standing crops holes on root zone

7. Scale, Melanopsis glomerata (Diaspididae: Hemiptera)

Adult: Grayish black, irregularly oval, slightly convex and protected by the waxy covering.

Nymphs: Light yellow in colour.

Damage symptoms

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Symptoms of damage

Shriveling and stunting of canes.

Reduces germination.

Inhibition of cane growth.

Reduction in quality of juice and yield.

Loss in jiggery production.

Nature of damage: Nymphs and females attach to the cane, look like an encrustation, suck the sap

and devitalize the cane.

Damaged cane by Scale insects

8. Termite, Odontotermes obesus (Termitidae: Isoptera)

Egg: Dull, kidney shaped and hatches in 30-90 days.

Nymph: Moult 8-9 times and are full grown in 6-12 months.

Adult: Creamy coloured tiny insects resembling ants with dark coloured head.

Eggs Worker Soldier

Symptoms of damage

Poor germination offsets (after Planting).

Gappy appearance in the seedling stage.

Characteristic semi-circular feeding marks on the leaves in the standing crop.

Entire shoot dries up and can be pulled out easily.

Setts hollow inside and may be filled with soil.

Cane collapses if disturbed.

Rind filled with mud.

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Damage symptoms by Termite

Conclusion:

The main aim of the article was to collect the relevant contribution in the field of pests in sugarcane

cultivation. All important information like sugarcane production, state wise production, major pests

are clearly described in the article with the appropriate reference. Thus this article is very useful for

farmers and research students to get detail about significant this topic.

References:

Kumar A. Pal S. and Hari Chand. 2019. Insect Pests of Sugarcane and Their Management: An

Overview. See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331285324.

Kumar N.N. and Gaikwad A.T. 2017. A STUDY OF VARIOUS PESTS IN SUGARCANE CROP

OF INDIA. See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321418838.