Field evaluation of selected insecticides against areca nut white grub, Leucopholis lepidophora (Blanchard) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Afieldexperiment was conducted to evaluate insecticides against areca nut white grub, Leucopholis lepidophora Blanchard at two locations viz., Gulukoppa, Hosanagara taluk and Harakere, Shivamogga taluk, Karnataka, India during August-November 2013. The results revealed that 60 days after treatment, chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC @ 658 ml/ha was effective in reducing the early instar root grub population at both the locations (89.29% and 87.01%, respectively). After 105 days of treatment, in one of the locations, imidacloprid 17.8 SL@1 l/ha (88.88%) followed byfipronil 5 SC 2.5 l/ha and chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC@658ml/ha (86.66%) gave significant reduction over the untreated check. Whereas at Harakere, imidacloprid 17.8 SL @1 l/ha chloropyriphos 20EC @ 10 l/ha and fipronil 5 SC @ 2.5 l/ha gave 100 percent reduction in larval population. Pooled analysis indicated that fipronil and imidacloprid gave control of white grub, L. lepidophora to the extent of >80 percent over control.