Pests
Cinnamon butterfly (Chilasa clytia)
The cinnamon butterfly is the most serious pest of cinnamon especially in younger plantations and in the nursery and is generally seen during the post monsoon period. The adults are large sized butterflies and occur in two forms. One of the forms has blackish brown wings with white spots on outer margins; the other form has black wings with bluish white markings. Fully-grown larvae are pale yellow with dark stripes on the sides and measure about 2.5 cm in length.
Symptoms
The larvae feed on tender and slightly mature leaves; in severe cases of infestation, the entire plant is defoliated and only midribs of leaves with portions of veins are left behind.
Management
The pest can be controlled by spraying quinalphos 0.05% on tender and partly mature leaves.
Leaf miner (Conopomorpha civica)
Infestation by the leaf miner is more common during the monsoon period and generally nursery seedlings are seriously affected. The adult is a minute silvery gray moth. The larvae are pale gray initially and later become pink measuring about 10 mm in length.
Symptoms
Larvae feed on the tissues between the upper and lower epidermis of tender leaves resulting in linear mines that end in 'blister' like patches. The infested leaves become crinkled and the mined areas dry up leading to the formation of large holes on the leaves.
Management
Spraying quinalphos 0.05% during emergence of new flushes is effective in preventing the pest infestation. Many other leaf feeding caterpillars and beetles also occur sporadically on cinnamon feeding on tender flushes. Application of quinalphos 0.05% would keep them under check.