Maruca vitrata
| Bean Pod Borer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Crambidae |
| Genus: | Maruca |
| Species: | M. vitrata |
| Binomial name | |
| Maruca vitrata (Fabricius, 1787) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Maruca vitrata is a pantropical insect pest of leguminous crops like pigeon pea, cowpea, mung bean and soybean. Its common names include the Maruca pod borer, Bean pod borer, Soybean pod borer, Mung moth, and the legume pod borer.
It can cause losses of 20-80% on the harvests of cowpeas.[1]
Its feeding sites on plants are flower-buds, flowers and young pods (in some cases early instars feed on flower peduncles and young stems).
Methods for control
Biological
Some parasitoid wasps have been shown to serve as a biological control for Maruca vitrata. Parasitoid families include Braconidae, Ichneumonidae, and Tachinidae.[2]
References
- Okeyo-Owuor, J.B., and Ochieng, R.S. 1981. Studies on the legume bod borer, Maruca testulalis (Geyer)-1: Life cycle and behaviour. Insect Sci Appl. 1: 263–268.
- Sharma, H.C. 1998. Bionomics, host plant resistance, and management of the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata – a review. Crop. Prot. 17: 373–386.
- Singh, S.R., and Jackai, L.E.N. 1985. Insect pests of cowpea in Africa: their life cycle, economic importance and potential for control. In: Singh, S.R., and Rachie, K.O. Editors. 1985. Cowpea: Research, Production and Utilization. Wiley, New York. Pp. 217–232.
- Singh, S.R., and Jackai, L.E.N. 1988. Screening techniques for host plant resistance to cowpea insect pests. Tropical Grain Legume Bull. 35: 2–18.
External links
- OISAT
- mbarnes
- cabicompendium
- funet
- Maruca in Australia
- Network for Genetic Improvement of Cowpea for All (NGICA)