Identification:

Fresh eggs are oval and cigar shaped. Female laid eggs are transparent and light yellowish in colour. The colour of the eggs changed to light pinkish before hatching. Nymphs have round abdominal end. They are initially pale greenish to parrot green in colour somewhat resembling aphid (Aphis gossypii Glov.). Adults are 4 to 5 mm with reddish brown to dark brown in colour having distinction of well-developed glassy transparent wings which are absent in nymphs 

Eggs are normally placed in the lint of partially opened bolls between the slaps in isolated or group fashion of 3 to 18 eggs per cluster. Eggs hatched after 5 to 10 days. Nymphal period lasts for 31 to 40 days. Nymphs pass 7 stages to become adult. Wide numbers of generations (3-4) are completed in one year and each generation may range of about 20 days. 

Damage:

Nymphs and adults of DCB de-sap the seeds inside the developing bolls. Seeds do not develop properly and remained weak. They are also known as cotton strainers extensively present on lint and finally get crushed in ginning vicinities. Thus, it colours the lint with bad patterns. Such kind of lint does not get desirable market value.

Management:

Cultural control:

All infested plants should be removed from the fields along with host weeds. Alternate hosts like cotton and okra should not be sown in the same or nearby fields.

Biological control:

An anthocorid bug Oriustantilus has affinity of prey for nymph of dusky cotton bug.

Chemical control:

The important pesticides for effective management of DCB are Thiamethoxam   3g/kg seed for seed treatment, Profenofos  2000 ml/ha, Lambda cyhalothrin 800 ml/ha Diafenthiuron 500 ml/ha and Profenofos + Cypermethrin 1500 ml/ha.

Treatment / علاج

Chemical control:

The important pesticides for effective management of DCB are Thiamethoxam   3g/kg seed for seed treatment, Profenofos  2000 ml/ha, Lambda cyhalothrin 800 ml/ha Diafenthiuron 500 ml/ha and Profenofos + Cypermethrin 1500 ml/ha.