PESTS OF GROUNDNUT :: Major Pests :: Pod Borer (Ear Wig)

8.  Pod borer (Ear wig): Anisolabis stalli (Forficulidae: Dermaptera)

Damage symptoms: Young pods showing bore holes plugged with excreta, sand particles or discoloured pulp.  Bored pods are devoid of kernels.

Bionomics: Adult is dark brown to black with forceps like caudal cerci and white leg joints.  It lays eggs in clusters of 20-100 in soil and sometimes inside damaged pods and hatch in about a week.  The five nymphal instars resemble the adults which can live as long as 250 days.  Their unique forked abdominal tip can easily be recognized as letter ‘Y”.

Management

1. Apply malathion 5D or endosulfan 4D or carbaryl 10 D at 25 kg/ha prior to sowing in   areas where the ear wig is endemic.