Abstract

                                Among the insect pests of castor plant, Ricinus communis L., the castor semilooper, Achaea janata L., is of major importance causing considerable damage to the crop. The first instar larva nibbles the epidermis of the leaves while the later instars completely defoliate the plants leaving only the veins. The full-grown caterpillar measures 55 mm. to 60 mm. in length and occurs in a wide variety of colour patterns. Field experiments on the control of this pest were conducted at the Agricultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore during 1964 and 1965 with news insecticides and their results are presented.

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