Looper caterpillar attack - what to do now

1st June 2006
Looper Caterpillar - Buzura(Biston)suppressaria Guen

I have had requests from certain gardens for advise on what action estates need to take now to prevent the next brood from causing massive damage to their plantations. They apparently had a very severe attack of looper a month or two ago that caused massive damage.
Suggestion:
From the 1st week July keep a regular vigil on fresh occurrence in areas where this attack had occurred. When the eggs hatch and the caterpillars are young it is the best time to hit them. How do you know when this is about to happen ? As soon as you start seeing moths coming to lights, remember they have just finished laying their eggs and so the hatching will take place within a fortnight. So keep a very close watch in those areas; within 20 days from when you see the moths you will start noticing the small holes along margins of young leaves. As soon as you notice 15% of the bushes with some of this damage, it is time to thoroughly spray that full patch.
Spray any recommended insecticide but ensure that the spray penetrates deep into the canopy and also gets onto the low hanging side branches. I, however, prefer using neem formulations as soon as 5% (instead of 15%) damage is noticed as this works well against the juvenile caterpillars. If however you get a little late in spotting it then use Bacillus thuringiensis as this works brilliantly. If by the time you spot it the caterpillars are fully matured you may use a synthetic parathyroid for 1 round.

In mid-August again repeat the same vigil as the next brood will be ready to attack.
Points to note:
a) Light traps / Pest-o-Flash’ are no good for control but good for monitoring population: pairing of moths takes place on the day of emergence. And the laying of eggs starts from the very next day. So by the time they come to the trap they have already laid their eggs.
b) Collection of chrysalides- between March & April or between October & December. The pupa is brown /dark brown with serrated ridges 1 on each side and is aprox 2 to 2.5 cm long. It can be collected by light forking around the collar region of the affected bushes ( 2.5 to 5 cms deep in the soil)
c) If the attack has been severe and a lot of defoliation has taken place, it is a must to add back the lost Maintenance Foliage.