Nature of Damage

  • Seed borer is a monophagous pest attacks immature fruits of sapota. 
  • The just hatched caterpillars make hole on the surface of the fruit and make galleries through the fruit pulp.  
  • Its entry into the fruit and finally reached to the seed where it bores through the seed coat and damages the kernel of the fruit seed (Fig. 3). The larva feeds only on endosperm of the seed and completes its larval period inside the seed (Fig. 4). 
  • For pupation, the mature larva (Fig. 6) prepares a tunnel to emerge out from the infested fruit prior to ripening of fruits and pupate on the leaf surface (Fig. 7). 
  • On exit, the larva cuts a leaf and folds it over to make a fine shell-like structure to pupate. 
  • Affected fruits show tiny exit holes (Fig. 1, 2 & 5).