A new disease of cardamom (Elatteria cardamomi) apparently due to insect damage in South India

Abstract

So far as the writers are aware, there is very little on record regarding insect pests of cardamom, especially of those affecting the growing crop, in India. This is chiefly due to the fact that this crop is grown only in some select forest areas, and we get very few opportunities of studying its diseases. The only insects so far recorded as casual pests of cardamom appear to be (1) the shoot-borer caterpillar (Dichocrocis punctiferalis, Guen.) recorded by Macmillan in 1925 ; this is a well-known pest of castor, turmeric and ginger in the plains. (2) A capsule-boring Scolytid beetle, a minute dark brown insect boring in the capsules like the rice weevil; it is not quite clear from the available information in the records from Coorg whether this was noted as a pest of the growing crop or only in the stored dry capsules. (3) The cardamom borer, Lampides elpis, Godt., the pinkish caterpillar of a small blue Lycaenid butterfly which has been noted to attack the flowers and pods to a certain extent but not seriously. (4) A swarming caterpillar (Eupterote sp.) which was once noted as causing substantial defoliation of the crop. (5) A white delicate lace-wing bug (Stephanitis typicus, Dist.), a minor pest also found on turmeric and ginger. A few others, like Ischnodemus vochus, Tol. (a bug) and Hilarographa caminodes, Meyr. (a root-boring caterpillar), have also been noted off and on ; but none of them has ever attained the status of a serious pest.