*4.1.1 Tussock caterpillar:* Dasychira mendosa *Hb. (Lymantridae)*

It is a polyphagous insect, which is mostly found on edible seeds, citrus, guava, banana, etc. Significant damage to nursery seedlings is due to the larvae which occasionally feed voraciously on the leaves. They're found to cause damage in oil palm plantations also [19]. This pest was observed in oil palm nurseries. The pest is found round the year with the peak incidence during June–July, with the onset of heavy rains [20]. Incidence is seen only in those nurseries which are overgrown and not lifted for transplantation at the proper time (**Figure 2**).
