Lesson 6: Earhead Bug

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Lesson 6 Earhead Bug
The adult female is about 5 mm long, a little
more than 1 mm in width, and yellowish green
(Fig.). It inserts long (about 1.5 mm)
cigar-shaped eggs generally under the glumes of
the sorghum florets. Each insect lays between
150 and 200 eggs. At least 2 generations of the
bug can feed on the same crop
Adult Earhead Bug
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Lesson 6 Earhead Bug
Both nymphs and adults infest the earheads as
soon as they emerge from the boot leaf and suck
sap from the developing grain. Consequently,
grain attacked in an early stage of development
(Top Fig.) is shriveled, reducing crop yield.
Older grain shows distinct feeding punctures
(Bottom Fig.) that reduce grain quality.
Sorghum grain damage due to Earhead Bug
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Lesson 6 Earhead Bug
Management A reduviid bug and a lygaeid bug are
predacious on the insect. Open-type panicles
are less affected than compact ones. Carbaryl
dusts can usually control the pest.
Reduviid Bug
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Module 4 Earhead Pests
Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics
Modules
Exercise
Lessons

With this, the Lesson 6 on Earhead Bug in
Sorghum, and also this Module on Earhead Pests in
Sorghum concludes. If you want to check your
understanding on about earhead pests in sorghum,
please click on Exercise button given
above. The next Module in this course deals
with the storage pests that affect sorghum
grain. Click Modules button and select
Module 5
Course on Insect Pests of Sorghum