The tobacco caterpillar is a polyphagous insect pest. It is an important pest of potato, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, peas and cowpea. The larvae cause direct damage to crops. Let’s see the growth stages of tobacco caterpillar._x000D_ Stages of insect:_x000D_ Egg - Female moth lays eggs in masses which appear golden brown. These masses are covered by brown hair. Eggs hatch in 3-5 days._x000D_ Larva - Larva appears pale greenish in color with dark markings. Larval period lasts for 2-3 weeks._x000D_ Pupa- pupae looks dark brown in color. Pupal period is about 2 weeks._x000D_ Adult - Adult moths are Light brown with wavy white markings on the forewings and a brown patch along the margin of the white hind wings._x000D_ _x000D_ Symptoms of damage:_x000D_ • Newly hatched larvae are gregarious, they scrape out the green matter in the leaf leaving the epidermis alone._x000D_ • The second and third instar larvae feed by making small holes, late instar feed on entire lamina, petiole, even the twigs on the terminal shoots of plants. _x000D_ • During fruiting stage the larva scrape the fruits/bolls and feed on it._x000D_ • Small holes appears on leaves. _x000D_ • Skeletonized leaves and the affected pods drop off or develop white color on drying._x000D_ _x000D_ Management:_x000D_ _x000D_ • Collect and destroy the egg masses, gregarious larvae and grown up caterpillars_x000D_ • Set up pheromone trap @ 15/ha _x000D_ • Growing castor along border and irrigation bunds, as trap crop._x000D_ • Spray Chlorpyriphos 2.5 ml/liter of water or Quinalphos 2ml/liter of water are recommended._x000D_ _x000D_ Source: Agrostar Agronomy Centre of Excellence_x000D_