Control measures
National Plant Protection Centre
Cultural Control:
 Deep ploughing of field before
(1 week) transplanting of chili to
expose the pupae in the soil.
 Flooding the field to kill the pupae
 Collecting and destroying the
infested chilli pods
 All the dropped chili pods and
infloresnce should be picked and
destroyed
Mechanical control
 Mechanically, collecting and
destroying the egg masses helps
reducing the population level
 Installation of pheromone traps in
the field is recommended ( Install
2 pheromone traps/ langdo or 4-5
pheromone traps/acre as soon as
flowering starts to monitor and
mass trap the adults.
Chemical control: �ལ༌ཡོངས༌�ོ་ཤིང༌�ང༌�ོབས༌�ེ་བ། NPPC
Accurate timing of chemicals is important to
Department of Agriculture
target the vulnerable stage. Looking for eggs
Semtokha: Thimphu
is one reliable method for determining the
need for spraying.
Provided proper timing for the application
is carried out, the recommended chemical
is Fenvalerate 4D dust (1.2 kg per acre)
or Malathion 50 EC (2 ml/litre of water).
Chlorpyrifos 20 EC @ of 4 ml/1 litre of water
is recommended in severely infected fields.
Note : Chemical spray is recommended
always as the last option and Waiting period
of at least 2 weeks shall be maintained.
Contact us:
National Plant Protection Centre
Department of Agriculture
Ministry of Agriculture and Forests
Semtokha, Thimphu
Chilli Pod borer
P O Box: 670 (Helicoverpa armigera)
Tel: +975-02-351016/351665 Ento, leaflet 4
Fax: +975-351656
Produced by:
Email: nppcsemtokha@gmail.com
Website: www.nppc.gov.bt Entomology Unit
National Plant Protection Centre
Semtokha, Thimphu
The Pest
Organism
In Bhutan, the chilli pod borer is
particularly a pest in early chillies and
tomatoes . The pest causes around 40-
50% yield losses and reduces the market
value
Adult female lays eggs singly on buds,
flower, and small fruits and on young
terminal. Pupation occurs in soil.
Caterpillars of chilli pod borer vary in
colour. The first two larval stages are
yellowish-white to red-brown. Later stages
are usually greenish, but some times
brown to black.
Larva of chili pod borer
Eggs of chili pod borer
Pupa of chili pod borer
Entry point of Chili pod borer
Damage symptoms
In the temperate regions of Bhutan, female
moths lay their eggs in March. Presence of
the moths near light forms a clear indication
of potential egg laying activities.
The caterpillars bore into fruits and the
caterpillar is completely hidden inside the
pod. The caterpillars go straight into the
pod leaving no visible entry point. Feeding
concentrates on the developing seeds
and the seed-bearing parts. A circular
hole is noticed at the base of the pedicel.
Premature dropping of flower and pods.
Fruit turns to white color