A field trial was conducted in a farmer's field by integrating biocontrol agents, a multiple insecticide tolerant strain (MITs), Trichogramma chilonis and formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis (NBAIR BtG4) with reduced insecticidal spray as a biocontrol-based IPM compared to insecticidal application as a farmer's practice, for the management of the diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) infesting cabbage. Six T. chilonis releases of 100,000 parasitized eggs ha − 1 were applied. Along with parasitoid release, a liquid formulation of B. thuringiensis (2%) was applied after third and fifth releases of T. chilonis. The number of P. xylostella larvae were significantly reduced in the field treated with biocontrol-based IPM as compared to farmer's practice after 30 and 45 days after treatment. After the 45 days, the holes on cabbage leaves were 2.2/plant in the field treated with biocontrol, opposed to 8.0 holes per plant were recorded in the farmer's practice filed. Only 7% of cabbage head damage was recorded in the field treated with biocontrol, whereas, in farmer's practice field, those were 32.2%. The cost-benefit analysis showed that integrating these biological control agents along with a reduced number of insecticidal sprays could reduce DBM population and percent head damage with an eventual increase in the yield.

Lepidopteran adults can be sexed using different morphological characters because sexual dimorphism is prevalent in most species. But sometimes, necessity arises for the sexual differentiation of immature stages like larvae so that virgin females can be studied. Here, we present a straightforward, reliable, and non-invasive method that permits sexing of Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders, 1844) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) larvae during their fourth instar. Male P. gossypiella larvae are identified by their testes, which are visible through the dorsal integument of the abdominal segments. The testes are observed as two dark elliptical bodies, one on either side of the midline of the fifth abdominal segment in the fourth instar of P. gossypiella. Length and width of the individual testes was measured as 653.33 ± 5.68 and 484.89 ± 4.34 μm, respectively, in P. gossypiella. After separation of live male larvae by these characters, they were transferred into separate vials and emerged adults were identified to ascertain correct identification of the males. We observed that all the larvae with dark-coloured testes visible to the naked eye in their fifth abdominal segment during the fourth instar developed into male moths and all other larvae without this character developed into female moths. The visual sexing of male and female larvae of P. gossypiella could save time in separating the sexes to carry out studies on sex-specific responses, hybrid mating, and/or inheritance of insecticide resistance.

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The soft scale Pulvinaria indica (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) was described by Avasthi & Shafee in 1985 from four females collected on Duranta repens Linn. from Simhachalam, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. The original description, however, was scanty and attempts to locate the type material were unsuccessful. To facilitate the identification and separation of P. indica from other similar species, we redescribe and illustrate the adult female, based on newly collected specimens found on an economically important new host plant. Management options in the event of its future occurrence are discussed briefly.