Insect Pests of Vegetable, Tuber and Spice Crops

Exercise: INSECT PESTS OF GINGER AND TURMERIC
GINGER:
1. Shoot borer, Dichocrosis punctiferalis (Pyralidae: Lepidoptera)

• It is a serious pest of ginger. Damage is done by the caterpillars by boring into the central shoots of the plant. Affected plants turns yellow and dry up.

2. Thrips, Thrips tabaci (Thripidae: Thysanoptera):

• This pest is reported to attack ginger from Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharastra. The bio-ecology and management of this species has been described under the insect pests of onion.

3. Spice beetle, Stegobium paniceum (Anobiidae: Coleoptera):

• The grubs and adults of spice beetle feed on dry ginger in ware houses. The grubs tunnel rhizomes by cutting microscopic holes and continues feeding from inside.

Minor pests of ginger

1. Scale, Aspidiotus hartii (Diaspidae: Hemiptera)
2. Termeric skipper, Udaspes folus (Hesperidae: Lepidoptera)
3. Maggots: Calobata sp. (Micropezidae: Diptera)
• Chalcidomyia atricornis (Chloropidae: Diptera)
• Formasina flavipes (Chloropidae: Diptera)
• Celyphus sp. (Celyphidae: Diptera)
4. Weevil, Hedychrous rufofasciatus (Curculionidae : Coleoptera)

TERMERIC

1. Castor capsule borer, Dichocrocis punctiferalis (Pyrolidae : Lepidoptera)

• The caterpillars enter into the aerial stem killing the central shoot which results in the appearance of ‘dead heart’. The detailed life cycle and management of this pest has been discussed under insect pests of cardamom.

2. Bihar hairy caterpillar, Spilarctia (Spilosoma) obliqua (Arctiidae: Lepidoptera):

• This pest damages the turmeric plants extensively in Bihar and West Bengal states. Damage is caused by the caterpillars which are profusely covered with hairs.
• See under insect pests of beans

INSECT PESTS OF CORIANDER

1. Cotton whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Aleyrodidae: Hemiptera)

• Damage is caused by nymphs and adults by sucking the cell sap from leaves and other tender plant parts. Due to excessive sap sucking the vitality of the plant is reduced. Nymphs also excrete honey dew on which sooty mould grows which gives a blackish appearance to the leaves and shoots and also interferes with the normal photosynthesis of the plants.
• See under insect pests of Okra.