author(s)
T Naresh, P Rajasekhar, KV Hariprasad, VLN Reddy and B Ravindra Reddy

abstract
Blackgram (Vigna mungo (L) Hepper) is an important pulse crop grown in during rabi season in various agro-climatic zones of Andhra Pradesh, India. Survey conducted during 2018-19 in major blackgram grown areas indicated that of all the lepidopteran caterpillars attacking the crop Maruca vitrata (Geyer) causes maximum economic loss. This insect pest appeared from flowering stage to pod maturing stage on blackgram. Incidence of M. vitrata varied from 24.85 to 58.79 per cent during rabi 2018-19. Majority of the farmers preferred PU-31, TBG-104, LBG-752 and TAU-1 varieties of blackgram for cultivation. The farmers relied on chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, thiodicarb, spinosad and chlorantraniliprole insecticides for managing M. vitrata. Two larval parasitoids Therophilus marucae, Bassus relativus and one egg-larval parasitoid Phanerotoma philippinensis were observed affecting the egg-larval stages of M. vitrata at the time of peak incidence of M. vitrata during survey.