Gram cutworm | 5 Things You Need To Know About Gram Cutworm

Today in this article we will know about Gram cutworm which is a pest of Lepidoptera order. And its common name is kata,kirauna,kamta,katwa,and surhi. And also you will know the nature of the damage, the life cycle of cutworms, and how we can manage it, so stay tuned in this article.

Gram cutworm 

 The scientific name of cutworm is due to the black marking on its four wings. Its forewings are seen in a Y shape. Its larva is called cutworm because it bites plants or crops. The larva of the gram cutworm is a serious paste for agriculture that harms all varieties of vegetables and very important grains.

Nature of damage of gram cutworm

Gram cutworms are active in the Rabi season. and damage the crop.

• In India, winter is generally the lean season for insects and pests. But cutworms belong to that small insect group. Those who damage the Rabi crop by their destructive activity.
• cutworms cut the plant down into the ground or twist the whole plant like a gram, hence it is known as a cutworm.
• cutworm is also known as a surface caterpillar because it is a sai surface and performs its activities a few centimetres.
• The larva of Gram cutworm causes great damage to the crop. Its larvae disappear during the day and come out in the evening to damage the crop.
• First of all, they feed on the epidermis of the fallen leaves or green leaves touching the ground letter caterpillar cut the leaf, shoot the plant just above the ground level, and buried in the soil.
• cutworm damages many plants causing serious damage. It attacks the gram field between November and February.

The life cycle of Gram cutworm

Gram cutworm has four developmental stages viz; Egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

Egg stage of cutworm

This is the first stage of the development stage, in which the adult lays eggs.

• The adult cutworm is a strong fly. Because they come in the plane from the mountainous areas in the winter season and go back to the mountainous areas in the summer season.
• After mating, the females of cutworm lay mostly inside the leaves or near the root base on the soil. Eggs laid singly are in a cluster of 30 eggs.
• Females of cutworms can usually lay 300 to 350 eggs. The eggs of Gram cutworm are round and yellowish which are 1mm long.
• cutworm hatching period of the egg varies from 2 to 6 days but during severe cold 12 to 15 days.

Larva stage of cutworm

Gram is the second developmental stage of cutworm, in which the larvae are released from the egg.

• The young larva that emerges from the egg receives the egg-shell as the first food. And full to the ground at the slightest disturbance
• cutworm larvae also called caterpillars are light bluish-green, whose length is 2 mm. Its caterpillar remains hidden in loose soil during the day. And comes out during the night and damages the crops.
• The grown caterpillar of cutworm is about 40 to 45 mm in length, plump smooth, flattened in look, and dull grey-brown.
• The caterpillar becomes fully grown in 21 to 36 days.

Pupa stage of cutworm

Gram is the umbrella developmental stage of the cutworm. Its pupation takes place in the soil.

• The fully grown caterpillar of the cutworm moves inside the sign and forms an earthing chamber. The side of which is made smooth and hard by education from the larval mouth.
• The pupa of gram cutworm is reddish-brown. Which is 20mm long and 7mm wide.
• Its pupal stage ends in 10 to 30 days.

The adult stage of  cutworm

Gram is the last development stage of cutworm. In this, we will know about its different species.

Agrotis ipsilon –

• Its adults or moths are brown which are 25 mm long and 7 mm wide. The wing’s expense of cutworm is 40 to 50 mm.
• Males and females of gram cutworm have separate antennae. Males have bi-pectinate and females have an antenna that is filiform.
• The colour of its forewings is dirty brown while the hind wings are white.
• cutworm terminal and abdomen bear a tuft of hairs.

Agrotis flammatra

• The four wings are characteristically marked and two-thirds of the coastal area is pale, grey-brown having a kidney-shaped and a semicircular spot below the pale area to block wavy lines near the base.
• An inverted black sign is found in the prothorax of Agrotis flammatra.

Agrotis segetum:

• It is found mostly in mountainous areas and is smaller than the other two species. Its body colour is brownish orange.
• They are active from October to March in plain areas. After that, again go to the hilly areas.
• cutworm completes its life cycle in 35 to 84 days.
• Generally to the generation found in plains and in the hills four generations occur during summer.

Management of cutworm

Gram cutworm After planting in the gram field or before it, let’s know how to manage it. In this article,

• plantingGram cutworm uses some larval parasites to control, below are the examples of some larval parasites.

a.Braconid wasp

b.Apanteles sp

c.Microbracon sp

• a light-trap should attract and destroy Gram cutworms.
• Hand-picking of Lava may also reduce the population of caterpillars.
• Floating off the field may kill the caterpillar.
• any one of the following dost may be mixed in the soil at the time of sowing to kill larva of the pest.

methyl parathion 2% dost @25 kg/ha

heptachlor 3% dust @35 kg/ha

lindane 2% dust @35 kg/ha

BHC and Aldrin dust should not be used in Tuber crops.

• Any one of the following insecticides may be spread near the base of the plant in a standing crop to control the pest.

Qunalphas 25 @ 3.5 lit/ha

Gamma BHC 20 EC @ 3.4 lit/ha

chlorpyriphos 20 EC@ 3.5 lit /ha

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