Introduction to the coconut leaf eating caterpillar Opisina arenosella Walker

摘要

Coconut (Cocos nucifera Linnaeus) grown in more than 93 countries in an area of 12.479 million ha producing 11. 439 million tones of copra equivalent is prone to the attack of more than 800 pests of which coconut leaf eating caterpillar Opisina arenosella Walker is one of the major pests observed in some coconut growing countries. Lot of research has been carried out world over on all aspects of this pest-right from taxonomy, distribution,, crop losses, host plant relationship, biography, seasonal fluctuations in the incidence of the pest, natural enemies, biological control, pheromones, growth regulators, chemical control to its integrated management, which have been summarized in this introductory chapter.