The Duponchelia fovealis moth can be challenging to verify in ornamental crops and - with a single fertilized female capable of laying 200 egg - can quickly become problematic . prefer dense crops , where it can easily hide , biological control are provide a workable root .
Damaging caterpillarsOriginating from South - East Europe , Duponchelia is becoming increasingly widespread in glasshouse crop in Western Europe and North America . Impacting on a reach of crop , it is particularly observe for causing knockout impairment in Kalanchoe , Begonia and Cyclamen .
As with all moths , the hungry caterpillar stage is the most damaging .
Duponchelia caterpillars run to search for area with high humidity and are generally bump at the plant al-Qaeda or in its centre .
Characteristically , they cause feeding harm to the basis of the stalk , the beginning neck opening and leaves - but can also bore into the stem . In pot plants these caterpillars have been found feeding on the stem , pass to droop and enabling diseases to infix through these wounds .
What to look out forOne fecund distaff Duponchelia moth is able of laying around 200 tiny orchis – just 0.5 millimeter long – around the base of the leaves or nears the vein at the bottom of stem . After around 8 day , these hatch into larvae ( caterpillar ) . These can grow to 20 to 30 millimeter long and are pick - coloured and shiny with a dark pass and brown , round dorsal spots on their organic structure . The cat tend to continue well out of sight in the crop .
After four calendar week , the caterpillars are full - grown and pupate . The pupa are found inside cocoons , 15 to 20 millimeter long , which tend to stay hidden under substratum corpuscle . This pupal leg last 1 to 2 hebdomad before the adult moth emerges , which can exist up to a further 2 week .
Highly mobile , the moth can circularise quickly and easily in the crop . These adult are light to dark brown , with cream - coloured striped abdomen which swerve upwards . The flank have a span of 9 to 12 millimeter and are livid with a coiling streak .
Monitor / controlThe commend monitoring strategy is to place delta yap in the crop with the appropriate pheromone . Some growers also monitor the pest simply by using a chicken maw , placed horizontally in the craw , or together with the pheromone .
To control this ambitious pest , Biobest recommends the use of several biological controls targeting the eggs and / or larval stages .
To ascertain the caterpillars in the substratum , we recommend deploying the good nematode Steinernema carpocapsae - Carpocapsae - System – on to the substratum and collar of the works .
To point the moth ’s egg and young larvae , Biobest recommends bring in the soil dwelling predatory mites Hypoaspis miles - Hypoaspis - System onto the substrate - together with the rove beetle Atheta - System .
