Brinjal Ash Weevil

📖 Description

Brinjal Ash Weevil (Myllocerus subfasciatus) is a polyphagous pest of brinjal, okra, cotton and other crops across the Indian subcontinent, particularly severe in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Gujarat where brinjal and okra are grown year-round. Both adult and larval stages damage the crop — adults feed on leaves at night, creating characteristic ‘window-pane’ or scalloped leaf margins, while larvae feed on roots in the soil, reducing the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients. This dual damage (foliar + root) makes M. subfasciatus particularly damaging — even moderate infestations can significantly reduce yield through combined leaf area loss and impaired root function. Outbreaks are favoured by warm moist soil conditions and continuous solanaceous cropping. Adults are nocturnal and hide in soil or under debris during the day, making them difficult to detect without night-time inspection with a flashlight. IPM with soil application of biocontrol (Beauveria, Metarhizium) and neem cake against grubs, foliar sprays and night-time hand-collection against adults, crop rotation with non-host cereals, and deep summer ploughing provides effective control. Conservation of predatory ground beetles (Carabidae) is important — these beetles prey on soil-dwelling larvae and can suppress populations naturally.