What Is Bark Eating Caterpillar?

Life Stages of a Bark Eating Caterpillar:

• Egg - The moths lay eggs in clusters in the bark crevices. The eggs are light brown After 7 - 11 days the eggs hatch to form a small neonate.
• Larvae - After the eggs hatch, the larvae move out in search of food. They look out for concealed shoots and bore a tunnel into the wood. The tunnel acts as a shelter from sunlight. While after sunset, the larvae come out to feed on the outer bark. This lasts for about 27-298 days.
• Pupa -  Pupa is the rest phase for larvae to grow into an adult. The rest phase is conducted in the tunnels made during its larval stage. It takes 20-25 days for the Pupa to turn into an adult.
• Adult - Adult is a stout yellowish-brown moth with wavy brown markings on the forewings. Males are smaller than the females and have a shorter lifespan. This phase can vary from 4-7 days.

How Does Bark Eating Caterpillar Damage the Plant?

Bark Eating Caterpillar Symptoms:

• Visible irregular tunnels coated with thick, ribbon-like, silken webs filled with excreta and chewed wood particles on the shoots, branches, stem and trunk.
• Shoots and branches show shelter holes.
• Damage young shoots and feeble looking plants.
• Young trees may die due to the attack.
• Caterpillars on the trunk and tree branches.

How to Manage or Control Bark Eating Caterpillar?

• Avoid growing plant varieties susceptible to bark eating caterpillars.
• Collect and burn the affected branches.
• Kill the caterpillars by inserting an iron spike into the shelter holes.
• Clean the affected portion with a swab of cotton soaked in petrol or kerosene.
• During September-October inject 5 ml dichlorvos in the borehole using a syringe and plug the hole with mud. Place Carbofuran 3G granules at 5 gm per borehole and then seal it with mud.
• Pad with monocrotophos at 10ml / tree or swab the trunk with carbaryl 50 WP at 20 gm/lit.
• Use a light trap to attract adult moths.
• Maintaining cleanliness.
• Control when eggs are hatching and caterpillars are small would prove beneficial for the plant.

Bark Eating Caterpillar Species:

• Indarbela tetraonis
• Indarbela quadrinotata

How to Deal With Heavy Infestation of Bark Eating Caterpillar:

• When heavily infested there might be 15-30 larvae affecting the tree.
• Old trees are susceptible to the attack than the younger ones. Buy tree seeds online.
• Bark Eating Caterpillar emerge in summer and are short-lived. There is only one generation in a year.
• To control the heavy infestation, opt for chemical fertilizers.