Survey and population fluctuation of Lesser date moth, Batrachedra amydraula Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Batrachedridae) on prominent aseel variety of Date palm

A survey and laboratory-based study were conducted on Phoenix dactylifera L. from six locations of district Khairpur during March to June 2019. From all locations due to insufficient nutrients, climatic factors, and Batrachedra amydraula infestation on the dropped and unripen fruits of date palm were kept under observation. The overall minimum to a maximum mean of dropped fruits from date palm tree was reported from taluka Khairpur (282.49±24.52), Kingri (337.65±21.11), Kot-Diji (412.89±30.79), Gambat (492.20±45.43), Sobho Dero (547.01±53.72), and Faiz Ganj (589.03±0.43). But in the case of lesser date moth the minimum infestation recorded from Faiz Ganj maximum Khairpur at (1115.84±192.93), (999.15±181.80), (873.90±170.47), (754.59±154.83), (669.76±145.29), (608.81±0.59), respectively. The minimum dropped fruits percentage found during the last days of April from Khairpur and maximum Faiz Ganj up to (5.00%), (10.00%), (15.00%), (20.00%), (25.00%) (30.00%), and minimum infestation percentage recorded from Faiz Ganj, maximum from Khairpur during same days at (70.00%), (75.00%), (80.00%), (85.00%), (90.00%), (95.00%), respectively. It was concluded that only this region of Sindh, Pakistan is the main hub for dates production and playing a pivotal role in Pakistan’s economy but the fruit of date orchards from beginning to harvest severely infested by LDM which is a potential pest and voracious feeder of date’s fruit and the larvae of this pest enters inside the fruit by forming hole like appearance and finally infest fruits. Therefore; it is recommended that the population of this pest is immediately managed through IPM eco-friendly techniques.