Traditional and innovative technologies for pest management of tropical tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta (Drury) by the tribes of Eastern-Central India

The rearing of tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), is practiced in outdoor conditions by the tribal communities on the forest-grown trees Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn., and Terminalia tomentosa (Roxb.) Wight & Arn., under natural conditions. Insect pests and birds are the major threats to healthy cocoon production in the wild rearing of A. mylitta. The study assessed the pest problems faced by farmers in tasar sericulture and the traditional and innovative methods used for managing pests of the tasar silkworm. A total of 600 tasar silkworm rearers were interviewed from the study area in order to achieve objectives. The study revealed that the nine insect species belonging to seven families of four insect orders and eighteen bird species were the major pests of A. mylitta. Only sticky stick (Lassa) is a traditional method that was widely adopted by the farmers of Odisha (66.3%) and Madhya Pradesh (25.3%) for the management of insect pests of A. mylitta. The innovative methods included a polythene strip smeared with used engine oil for ants, the wind operated auditory device and bird scaring gun were found effective in scaring the birds under field conditions. These traditional and innovative methods appeared as efficient, low cost and an alternative to the chemical and other methods currently employed for pest management in tasar sericulture.