PESTS OF GROUNDNUT :: Major Pests :: Aphids

Distribution and status: India, Africa, Argentina, Chile, U.S.A.  Europe and Australia.

Host Plants: Groundnut, beans, safflower, lablab, niger, peas, pulses and some weeds.

Damage symptoms: Both nymphs and adults suck the sap from the leaflets and tender shoots mostly upto two months after germination.  It results in wilting of tender shoots during hot weather.  Leaves mottled with chlorotic or dark green spots and plant growth becomes stunted.  Sometimes honey dew deposited on the leaves and shoots could be seen which attract the ants.

Bionomics: Reddish to dark brown coloured aphids.

Management

1. Spray the infested crop with methyl demeton 25 EC  500 ml or Imidacloprid 17.8 SL 100 -125 ml in 700 L of water per ha.  As the strong point of this pest lies in its very quick multiplication the insecticidal treatment has to be repeated as soon as aphid population is found to have built again.
2. Release Chrysoperla carnea grubs @ 5000 / ha.