FEEDING HABITS

LIFE CYCLE
& MANAGEMENT
OF COMMON VEGETABLE
INSECT PEST

RCPC ‘09
 insects
(plus mites, ticks & spiders)

 pest
 parasite, parasitoid
 predators
 decomposers
 food
 medicine
TERMINOLOGY

P an animal that feeds in or on

A another animal for a relatively
R long time, consuming all
A or most of its tissues and
S eventually killing it.
I
T
O
D Trichogramma chilonis Eretmocerus mundus
TERMINOLOGY

P an animal that attacks & feed

R on other animals (prey), usually
E smaller or less powerful than
D itself.
A
T
O
R Praying mantis
The ff. criteria are most helpful
in grouping insects and identifying
the damage they cause.
 Type of Mouthparts

 Type of Metamorphosis

 Structure & Venation on Wings

 Special Characteristics
TYPE OF MOUTHPARTS

 Chewing
It has mandibles
that move sideways,
bite off & chew
particles of food
 TYPE OF MOUTHPARTS

 Sucking
It has long beak
which suck juice
from plants
 TYPE OF MOUTHPARTS

 Siphoning
Long and coiled
which suck juice
or nectar from
plants
TYPE OF METAMORPHOSIS

 Complete
TYPE OF METAMORPHOSIS

 Incomplete
SHOOT AND FRUIT BORER
Leucinodes orbonalis

• Importance : One of the major insect pest of

eggplant
• Damage : Feeding within the fruit causes the most
serious damage, while boring in the shoot
causes wilting & eventually death of the
shoot. Attack on the fruit normally
occurs when populations are high.
SHOOT AND FRUIT BORER
Leucinodes orbonalis

• Life Cycle

Eggs are usually laid singly on

young
shoots, flower buds & calyces of
developing fruits. The egg stage
lasts
3-5days. Upon hatching the
larvae
bore into the shoots, flower buds
or fruits. The larvae undergo 5
larval instars which are
completed in 11-13 days. Pupal
stage lasts 6-8 days.
SHOOT AND FRUIT BORER
Leucinodes orbonalis

Management
• Clean culture.
• Application of
biological control
agents like
Trichogramma
chilones.
• Botanical extracts.
• Use of recommended
insecticides.
APHIDS
Aphis craccivora
• Damage

Besides direct removal of plant

sap, aphids is also known to
transmit virus including viruses
of beans, cucurbits and
crucifers. Indirect damage from
the build up of sooty mold
which grow on sugary
secretions can also affect plant
growth.
APHIDS • Life Cycle
Aphis craccivora
Reproduce without mating.
Young nymphs undergo 4 molts
to become an adult in 5-8 days.
• Management

1. Use of yellow pond trap

2. Utilization of biological
control agents like earw
coccinelid beetle, etc.
3. Mulching to enhance
population of spiders.
4. Botanical extracts.
5. Use of recommended
insecticides.
THRIPS
Thrips palmi

• Damage

Leaves, flowers and fruits of the

plant are attacked. Both nymph
& adults suck the sap of the
plant causing leaf mottling,
flecking and wilting of plants.
This pest also transmit plant
viruses.
THRIPS
Thrips palmi

• Life Cycle

Eggs are laid in leaves and stems of young

plants. Eggs hatch in 4-10 days. Nymphs
undergo 2 molts in about 5 days. Pupation
occurs in the soil and the pupal stage lasts 4-7
days.
THRIPS
Thrips palmi

• Management

1. Use of yellow sticky trap.

2. Utilization of biological control agents like
earwig,
coccinelid beetle, etc.
3. Mulching to enhance population of spiders.
4. Botanical extracts.
 Predatory Bugs – Orius spp.

Adult Orius insidiosus Nymphal stage

Entomopathgenic fungi – Beauveria bassiana

Beauveria-infected thrips
RED SPIDER MITES
Tetranychus sp.

•Damage

Feeding by adults and

immatures may cause
cluster of whitish
yellow spots which
are visible on the
upper surface of the
leaves. Heavy damage
may cause leaves to
wither and drop.
 Spider Mite Damage to Crops

Cucumber leaf

Cucumber plants
RED SPIDER MITES
Tetranychus sp.

•Life Cycle

Adults are 0.5 mm in

length. Eggs are laid
on the under surfaces
of leaves. There are
two nymphal stages
(with 8 legs). Total
development time
from egg to adult is
about 15 days.
 RED SPIDER MITES
Tetranychus sp.

• Management
Adult & eggs
1. Removal of heavily
infested leaf and
burning.

2. Recent information
cites that some
predatory
mites belonging to
Phytoseidae are used in
glasshouses in
developed
CUTWORM
Spodoptera litura
• Damage

Caterpillars often cut young stems and drag these to the

soil to feed them. Occasionally, a serious pest in the early
stages of growth of the crop.
CUTWORM
Spodoptera litura

• Life Cycle

Eggs are laid in cluster of

several hundreds, usually
on the upper surface of
the leaves. Fecundity
varies from 2,000-2,600
eggs, with an incubation
period of 2-3 days. Larvae
undergo 6 instars.
Pupation takes place in
the soil close to the plants
and lasts for about 7-10
days.
CUTWORM
Spodoptera litura

• Management

1. Utilization of biological control agents like Nuclear

Polyhydrosis Virus (NPV) & Bacillus thuringensis (Bt)
2. Field sanitation / clean culture.
3. Removal of alternate hosts.
4. Use of recommended insecticdes.
LEAFMINER
Liriomyza sp.
• Damage

Leafmining by the
larvae may result
in the withering
and premature
dropping of the
leaves which
eventually results
in yield loss.
LEAFMINER
Liriomyza sp. • Life Cycle

Eggs are inserted singly

into the epidermis of
young leaves. The egg
stage lasts 2-4 days.
Larvae mine the leaves
and make irregular
linear mine. Larval
stage lasts about 6 days.
Pupation occurs within
the leaf mine and the
pupal stage takes 7-15
days.
LEAFMINER
Liriomyza sp.
• Management

1. Host-plant resistance.
2. Cutting of infected leaves.
3. Floading
4. Plant insect-free
propagation
materials.
5. Using yellow color sticky
cards.
6. Using recommended
insecticides.
GREEN JASSID / LEAFHOPPERS
Empoasca sp.

•Damage

Adults are 2.5 mm long.

They are often found on
the under surface of
leaves. Feeding by
nymphs and adults on
the leaves results in
whitish, yellowish or
reddish spots. Large
numbers of these Jassids
may cause leaves to curl
and dry up.
GREEN JASSID / LEAFHOPPERS
Empoasca sp.

•Life Cycle

Eggs are laid in veins on Adult / Nymph Leafhopper

the underside of young
leaves. Females lay
around 50-100 eggs and
hatch within 5-9 days
depending on the
temperature. There are 5
nymphal instars which
lasts for about 2-3 weeks.
Adults live for 30-50
days.
WHITEFLIES
Bemesia tabaci

•Damage

Besides dehydrating the

plant from feeding by large
populations, whiteflies
produce honeydew which
encourages growth of sooty
mold. This blocks light
necessary for normal plant
growth. It also serves as a
vector of small plant
viruses.
WHITEFLIES
Bemesia tabaci •Life Cycle

Female lay over 100 eggs

on the underside surface
of leaves. Eggs are white
and later turns to
brown. They hatch in
about 7 days. The
nymphs develop several
instars over 2-4 weeks
depending on
temperature. Adult
insect emerge through a
slit in the pupal case.
WHITEFLIES
Bemesia tabaci

•Management Encarsia formosa

Eretmocerus eremicus
1. Intercropping with non-
host plant.
2. Application of Neem
Extract.
3. Use of biological control
agents.
4. Rotation of recommended
insecticides.
Parasitoid release card
 Parasitized Whitefly Pupae

Whitefly pupae parasitized Whitefly pupae parasitized

by Encarsia formosa by Eretmocerus eremicus
 Entomopathogenic Fungi for Whitefly Control

Infected adults in culture media

Infected nymphs
Infected pupae
TOMATO FRUITWORM
Helicoverpa armigera
•Damage

Larva feed within the

plant pod and fruits.
Eating the contents either
partially or completely and
causing damage that allows
the entry of fungal
pathogens. The damage
characterized by circular
holes surrounded by frass
on the surface of the fruits.
TOMATO FRUITWORM
Helicoverpa armigera
•Life Cycle

Eggs are spherical 0.5 m in

diameter. About 500 eggs laid
by a female in a single night,
usually in the upper part of
the canopy. Incubation period
is about 2-4 days. The larva
undergoes 6 instars which
last for 14-24 days. Full grown
larvae drop into the soil &
pupate for 10-14 days.
TOMATO FRUITWORM
Helicoverpa armigera

•Management

1. Use of biological control agents like

Trichogramma chilonis.
2. Avoid planting on the peak of abundance,
from June-July & from Nov-Jan to
minimize higher infestation.
3. Practice crop rotation.
4. Hand picking & destroying infested fruits.
5. Use of botanical extracts.
6. Use of recommended insecticide.
LEAF FEEDING LADY BIRD BEETLE
Epilachna sp.

•Damage

Adult and larvae

feed on leaves of
plants belonging
to Family
Cucurbitaceae &
Solanaceae.
Skeletonized
leaves usually
dries out.
LEAF FEEDING LADY BIRD BEETLE
Epilachna sp.

•Life Cycle

Yellow spindle-shaped
egg are laid in cluster of
15-50, usually on the
upper surface of leaves.
Eggs stage lasts for 2-4
days and undergo 4 larval
instars which will
complete in 16-18 days.
LEAF FEEDING LADY BIRD BEETLE
Epilachna sp.

•Management

1. Hand picking of
larvae/adults during early
morning.
2. Clean culture.
3. Application of wood ash.
4. Use of recommended
insecticide.
MELON FLY
Bactocera cucurbitae

•Damage

Most destructive insect pest

of bitter gourd “ampalaya”.
Chemical sprays are not
effective because adult
female fruitfly lays eggs on
growing fruits. The larvae
make tunnels and feed on
the flesh of fruits.
MELON FLY
Bactocera cucurbitae

•Life Cycle

Eggs are laid on the fruits. A

female can lay 1,200-1,500
eggs during her life span of EGG LARVA
1-3 months. One life cycle is
completed in 1 month.
Mature larvae drop from
infested fruit to the ground ADULT PUPA
for pupation & it takes 10-12
days to complete.
MELON FLY
Bactocera cucurbitae

•Management

1. Falling off of fertilized flower is an

indication for bagging fruit.
2. Use of attractant (methyl eugenol, zorgen,
kalingag bark powder, etc.)
3. Use of clean culture by collecting infested
fruits & proper disposal by burning or
burying.
4. Crop rotation
DIAMOND BACK MOTH
Plutella xylostela

•Importance

One of the major lepidopterous

pest on crucifers.

•Damage

The caterpillar feed on leaves

and when populations are high, damage to
leaves are
severe.

A diamondback moth larva and adult.

 DIAMOND BACK MOTH
Plutella xylostela
•Life Cycle

Development depend highly

on temperature. Eggs laid
slingly on the lower surface
of the elaves. Incubation
lasts about 6 days. There are
4 larval instars which are
completed in about 14 days.
Pupation occurs on leaves in
a silken cocoon. Adult
emerge about 7 days.
 DIAMOND BACK MOTH
Plutella xylostela
•Management
1. Use of biological control
agents : Diadegma for Adult diadegma
highland; Cotesia sp. &
Trichogramma chilonis
for lowland; Bacillus
thuringensis (Bt)
2. Practice crop rotation.
3. Collect infested plant,
bury or burn them.
4. use of recommended
insecticide.
CABBAGE WEBWORM
Hellula undalis

• Damage

Feeding is concentrated in the heart of young

cabbage plants which can affect the growth of
the plant and sometimes may result in loss of
marketable cabbage heads.
CABBAGE WEBWORM
Hellula undalis

• Life Cycle

Eggs are laid singly or in a row on cabbage plants.

Larvae mine the leaf midribs or feed inside the
cabbage heart under protective silken webs.
Pupation occurs inside a cocoon made of soil just
below the soil surface. Total development time
CABBAGE WEBWORM
Hellula undalis

• Management

1. Sticky paper traps positioned at a height of 0.5

m
attracts the moth.
2. weekly application of neem extract.
CHRYSOMELLID/SQUASH BEETLE
Aulocophora similes

• Damage
Adults feed on leaves making
circular feeding marks and holes.
Larvae feed on roots

• Life Cycle
Eggs laid in the soil and larvae feed on the
roots. Pupation occurs in the soil. Complete
life cylce from egg to adult of similar species
varies from 45-60 days.

• Management
1. Using plastic mulch
COTTON STAINER
Dysdercus sp.

• Damage

Both nymphs & adults

feed on the fruits by
sucking the sap.

Nymph
Adult
 COTTON STAINER
Dysdercus sp.

• Life Cycle

The eggs laid in damp soil or

plant debris under the host
plant in batches of up to 100.
Hatching occurs between 13-14
days & there are 5 nymphal
instars which lasts a total of
25 days. Female can lay 800-
900 eggs in their 60 days life
span.
COTTON STAINER
Dysdercus sp.

• Management

1. Removal of primary host such as cotton as

soon as
it has been picked & ceased to bear
profitable
yield.

2. Use of recommended insecticides.