Nature of damage:
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•The larvae live on the under surface of leaflets within galleries of silk and frassy material and feed by scraping the green matter.
•In case of severe attack due to large scale drying of leaflets the whole plantation presents a burnt up appearance from a distance.

Management :
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•Among the larval parasitoids, the bethylid Goniozus nephantidis is the most effective in controlling the pest.
•The optimum level of release is 1:8 of host-parasitoid ratio. The parasitoid should be released @3000/ha under the coconut trees when the pest is in the 2nd or 3rd instar larval stage.
•Parasitoid release trap may be used to release the parasitoid at the site of feeding.
•Parasitoids should not be released in the crown region since they will be killed by predators like spiders and reduviid bugs.
•Remove and burn all affected leaves/leaflets.
•Spray malathion 50 EC 0.05% (1mi/lit) to cover the undersurface of the leaves thoroughly in case of severe epidemic outbreak of the pest in young palms.