CUCURBITS :: MINOR :: PEST OF PLUME MOTH

9. Plume moth: Sphenarches caffer (Pterophoridae: Lepidoptera)
          This is a common pest of bottle-gourd in South India. Adult is a tiny plume moth. Eggs are laid singly on buds and leaves. Both larva and pupa have spines on the body. Larva feeds on the foliage. Collect and destroy larvae and pupae in their early stages.
Insecticides as suggested for pumpkin beetles will also manage these pests.