Fruit borers, Fruit flies and Storage pests

Fruit borers, Fruit flies and Storage pests

5. Fruit borers

Longitarus nigripennis (Chrysomelidae: Coleoptera):

Helicoverpa armigera (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)

Spodoptera litura (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)

Euzophera perticella (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera)

Pepper top shoot borer, Laspeyresia hemidoxa

Fruit borer, Longitarus nigripennis

  • serious pest of pepper
  • Eggs are generally laid on fruits
  • Grubs bore inside and feed within the fruits.
  • Egg, grub and pupal periods are 5-8, 20-30 and 6-7 days, respectively
  • Total life cycle is completed in 40-50 days
  • 4 overlapping generations in a year.
  • The pest over winters as adult stage.
Management:
  • Insecticides recommended for the control of H. armigera are effective
6. Fruit flies

Bactrocera cucurbitae
  • B. tau
  • B. dorsalis
7. Storage pests

Cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne

Drug store beetle, Stegobium paniceum

Family: Anobiidae

Order: Coleoptera

Identification and life cycle

  • Grubs of L. serricorne are white, fleshy, crescent shaped with dense hairs all over the body
  • Grubs of S. peniceum are also white and fleshy but not hairy
  • L. serricorne beetles are 2-3 mm long, robust, oval
  • Beetles of S. paniceum are slightly bigger is size, cylindrical in shape and light brown in colour having striated elytra.
  • Incubation, Laval and pupal periods are 6-7, 17-29 and 4-8 days, respectively.
Management:
  • If the quantity of chillies is small, spread them in thin layers under sunshine.
  • If quantity is large, then fumigation with any good fumigant like ethylene bromide or methyl bromide @ 1kg/30 m3 space may be used.
  • Fumigation should be done only in air tight containers or chambers.

Last modified: Saturday, 3 March 2012, 6:27 AM