Insect Pests of Vegetable, Ornamental and Spice Crops (2+1)

Leaf hoppers

6. Leaf hoppers

• Important species:
• Amrasca biguttula biguttula
• Empoasca binotata
• E. parathea
• E. punjabensis
• Family: Cicadellidae
• Order : Hemiptera

A. Biguttula is more common and destructive

Damage:

• Nymphs and adults suck the cell sap from ventral surface of leaves and inject toxic saliva into plant tissue
• Transmit viral disease called as little leaf

Identification:

Detailed life cycle and management have been discussed under insect pests of okra

7. Aphids

Important species:

• Cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii)
• Peach green aphid (Myzus pessicae).

Family: Aphididae

Order: Hemiptera

Distribution: Cosmopolitan

Hosts: Polyphagous

Damage:

• Nymphs and adults, such the cell sap from leaves and tender apical shoots.
• The affected parts turn yellow, get deformed and dry away.
• Excrete honey dew on which sooty mould grows
• Interferes with the photosynthesis
• The infested plants become weak, pale and stunted in growth and consequently bear small sized fruits

Identification:

• Nymphs of Aphis gossypii are greenish brown or yellowish in colour
• Adults are yellowish green to dark green, 1mm, a pair of siphuculi near the posterior side of the abdomen.
• Wings when present are transparent with black veins.
• Adults of M. persicae are usually green in colour but may be pale brown to pinkish, 1.5-2.5 mm long with long clave siphunculi.

Life cycle:

• A. gossypii breeds during winter or a number of vegetables including egg plant
• Migrate in the month of April to melon and by June end return to cotton.
• Reproduction in parthenogenetic viviparous but during cooler winter, eggs laid
• When the temperature rises, the eggs hatch and nymphs starts feeding on blossoms.
• They mature in 3-4 days and reproduce parthenogenetically.
• When temperature rises and there is overcrowding, the alates are produced which migrate to other crops including egg plant.
• With the fall of temperature during winter again these aphids migrate to temperate fruits.

Management:

• Two to three sprays of dimethoate (0.05%) or metasystox (0.025%).
• Less susceptible varieties: GB1, GB6, Selection 1 and selection 4 should be preferred
• Predators like coccinellids, nymphets and some parasitoids are also active against these pests naturally

Minor pests of egg plant:

1.	Cotton Aphid	Aphididae	Hemiptera
2.	Brinjal leaf roller,	Eublemma olivacea	(Noctuidue: Lepidoptera)
3.	Leaf roller	Antoba olivacea	(Noctuidue: Lepidoptera)
4.	Green potato bug	Nezara viridula	(Pentatomidae: Hemiptera)
5.	Jassids	Amrasca devastans, Amrasea biguttula	(Cicadellidae: Hemiptera)
6.	Pumpkin stink bug	Aspongopus janus	Pentatomidae: Hemiptera
7.	Brinjal meely bug	Planococcus insolita	Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera)
8.	Leaf webber	Parsa bipunctalis	Pyraustidae: Lepidoptera