Insect Pests of Fruit, Plantation, Medicinal & Aromatic Crops (2+1)

1. Peach leaf curl aphid

1. Peach leaf curl aphid - Brachycaudus helichrysi Kalt (Aphididae: Hemiptera)

Damage

• Both nymphs and adults desap the leaves, petioles, blossom and fruits.
• The infested leaf turn pale and curl up, blossom wither and fruits do not develop and drops prematurely.
Bionomics

• It appears in cooler regions after the middle of March and from June to October it feeds on golden rod a alternative host.
• The egg stage over winters from October-December.
• During spring the egg hatch and nymphs moves out on to the primordial leaves and suck the sap.
• The eggs are produced parthenogenetically which hatch inside the body of mother.
• Each viviparous female produces about 50 nymphs in 13 days of life span.
• After completing 3-4 asexual generations, the aphid migrates to its alternative host to pass summer.
• They again reproduce asexually and complete 4-5 generation from June-October.
• The winged females are again produced in November.