Number of leaves consumed by Scopelodes contractus in insecticide unspraying persimmon orchards.

Abstract

In this study, we investigated leaf damage caused by slug caterpillars of the moth Scopelodes contractus in insecticide-free persimmon orchards. In the absence of predators, the number of leaves consumed by each colony of S. contractus was 211.1. Summary The number of leaves consumed by each colony of S. contractus in the presence of predators, such as the larvae of the ground beetle Parena cavipennis, was 47.2. Therefore, the present results indicate that leaf damage caused by S. contractus larvae could be reduced four-fold by the predatory larvae of P. cavipennis.