Symptoms of damage:

• Young plants wilt and wither as a result of the attack
• Adult bugs excrete resinous substances which spoils the pods

Identification of the pest:

• Adult: Bug is black in colour with red and yellow lines

Management:

• Deep ploughing so that the eggs of painted bugs are destroyed
• Early sowing is needed to avoid pest attack
• Irrigate the crop during four week after sowing to reduce pest attack
• Quick threshing of the harvested crop should be done
• Burn the remains of mustard crop so that the stages of insect do not reach the next year crop
• The bugs usually congregate on the leaves and stem, which can be jerked to dislodge them and killed in kerosinised water
• Conserve bio-control agents like Alophara spp.
• Spray the crop with malathion 50 EC @1000 ml or dimethoate 30 EC @625 ml in 600-700 liter water