DAMAGE POTENTIAL OF GROUNDNUT LEAF MINER (Gelechiidae Lepidoptera)

Abstract

Pot experiments were conducted to assess the damage potential of the groundnut leaf miner, Aproaerome modicalla Deventer. In the case of 20 and 40-day-old plants introduced separately with 2, 4, 6 and 8 larvae per plant, it was observed that the maximum damage in respect of the number of damaged leaflets and percentage of affected leaflets was in'licted within five days of introduction and afterwards there was only a slight increase in the damage. Among the two age groups, the dainage was significantly more in 40-day-old plants at 15th day after introduction. The differences in the leaf area damaged between the tub age groups were not significant. Cumulative damage assessed by the introductions of 2, 4, 6 and 8 larvae per plant when the plants were 20 and 40 days old showed that there was a concomitant increase in the damage with the increase in the number of larvae introduced.