Abhinav Kumar Singha & Braj Bhusan Prasad Singhb*
aUniversity Department of Zoology, J. P. University, Chapra, Bihar, India
bDepartment of Zoology, Purvottar Railway College, Sonpur (Saran), Jai Prakash University, Chapra, Bihar, India
Received : 30th May, 2021 ; Revised : 29th June, 2021
Abstract– Winter is generally a lean season for insect pest activity. The Cutworms, belonging to that comparatively small group of pest, the destructive activity of which is more marked in rabi crops. They are known as cutworms because they cut and fell to the ground either the whole plants of low crops like gram or their twigs. They are also referred to as surface caterpillars because their activities are mostly confined to a few centimeters of the surface layer of the soil. Their collective names apply to a number of species of Noctuid moths, particularly those belonging to the genera Agrotis. Amongst them Agrotis ypsilon Rottenberg, is the commonest and widely distributed. It is commonly known as greasy, black potato or gram cutworm is a cosmopolitan pest of great economic importance since it causes a great economic damage to the vegetables, gram and rabi crops annually. In India its occurrence has been found in all the regions of Northern area in the Gangatic belt. In Bihar, it is a limiting factor in the cultivation of rabi crops in the ‘Chaur’, ‘Diara’ and ‘Tal’ areas of different districts. Flood areas are most affected by this pest . The main aim and objectives of the present investigation is the application of research findings specially biological control of this pest in the field of crops for the benefits of poor farmers of Bihar and India as well as the way of safe guard of ecosystem and health hazards.
Key words: Agrotis ypsilon Rottenberg, rabi crops, caterpillars
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