PEST OF VEGETABLES

RED PUMPKIN BEETLE (Aulacophora foveicolis) Systematic Position: Phylum – Arthropoda Class – Insecta Order – Coleoptera Family – Chrysomelidae Genus – Raphidopalpa Species – Faveicollis RED PUMPKIN BEETLE (Aulacophora foveicolis)

Distribution: The pest is widely distributed in different parts of the world, especially in Asia, Africa, Australia and South Europe. In India, it occurs throughout the country but is more common in north-western parts. Out of the several species of Aulacophora, the A. foveicollis is the commonest beetle found in India.

Food Plants and Nature of Damage: It is the most destructive pest of all cucurbitaceous vegetables. It infests a wide variety of vegetables like pumpkin, tinda, melon, ghia tori, cucumber etc., but have special liking for pumpkin. The damage to the plant is caused mainly by the adult insects which feed voraciously on the leaves, flowers and fruits. The beetle makes hole in the plant tissues, causing death or retardation of growth. The damage done to young seedlings is often devastating. The grubs of this pest remain in the soil and feeds on roots and stem of the plant.

Marks of Identification: Life Cycle Marks of Identification: The dorsal part of the body of adult beetle is deep orange, while the ventral side is black. The beetle appears to be oblong measuring 5-8 mm in length and 3.5- 3.75 mm in width. The posterior part of the abdomen bears soft white hairs.

Prevention and Control: 1. Trap crop. Few scattered plants should be grown early in the season. They should be treated with strong insecticidal spray. So, that the adults attracted towards plant will die and the subsequent will have pest free crop. 2. Mechanical Collection and destruction of pest. In the early hours of the morning the beetles remain sluggish. They can be collected by hand nets and killed in kerosene oil. 3. Repellents. The pest gets repelled by ash or mixture of ash and insecticidal dust.

PUMPKIN FRUIT FLY (Dacus cucurbitae) Systematic Position: Phylum – Arthropoda Class – Insecta Order –diptera Family –tephritidae Genus – dacus Species – cucurbitae PUMPKIN FRUIT FLY (Dacus cucurbitae)

DISTRIBUTION The melon fly is native to India, and is distributed throughout most parts of the country. It can be found throughout most of southern Asia, several countries in Africa, some island groups in the Pacific. It was introduced there from Japan around 1895, and by 1897, when it was first observed, it had already become a serious pest.[2]

The melon fly can attack flowers, stem, root tissue, and fruit. Host Plants and Nature of Damage Melon flies use at least 125 host plants. They are major pests of beans, bittermelon, winter melon, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, luffa, melons, peppers, pumpkins, squashes, tomatoes and watermelon. In the Indomalaya ecozone region, the melon fly is considered the most destructive pest of melons and other related crops. In Hawaii, it has caused serious damaged to melon, cucumber and tomato crops. The melon fly can attack flowers, stem, root tissue, and fruit.

Identification Behaviour Melon flies are most often found on low, leafy, succulent vegetation near cultivated areas. In hot weather they rest on the undersides of leaves and in shady areas. They are strong fliers and usually fly in the mornings and afternoons. They feed on the juices of decaying fruit, nectar, bird feces, and plant sap. The adult melon fly is 6 to 8 mm in length. Distinctive characteristics include its wing pattern, its long third antennal segment, the reddish yellow dorsum of the thorax with light yellow markings, and the yellowish head with black spots.

LIFE CYCLE As the fruits set in the female fruifly lays eggs just under their skin in evening. Female releases resinous secretion that seals the punctures made for depositing eggs and make them waterproof. The maggots hatch in 1-9 days.They are legless,dirty white,conical creatures.The maggots become full grown in 3 days.They are 9-10mm long at this time. Thn maggots fall on ground and pupate.The pupae change into winged adults in 6-9 days. They live for about a month.

The two most common mechanical methods of control are wrapping developing fruit with a protective covering and the use of baited traps. The most effective cultural management technique is the destruction of all infested and unmarketable fruit, and the disposal of crop residues immediately after harvest. When the braconid parasitoids Fopius arisanus or Pysttalia fletcheri were used, and attacked both melon fly eggs and larvae at the same time, suppression of development was as much as 56%. CONTROL

BAGGING

Biological control: A technician prepares to irradiate male melon fly pupae to sterilize them as: Sterilization of male melon flies through irradiation has proven effective in significantly reducing the number of eggs hatching Between 1947 and 1952, thirty-two species and varieties of natural enemies to fruit flies were introduced in Hawaii. These parasites lay their eggs  and emerge in the pupal stage. When the parasitoids F. arisanus or P. fletcheri were used, and attacked both melon fly eggs and larvae at the same time, suppression of development was as much as 56%

Chemical Control. Insecticides such as malathion, dichlorvos, phosphamidon, and endosulfan are moderately effective against the melon fly. Application of either fenthion or carbaryl is helpful in reducing the melon fly damage . Application of carbofuran granules at the time of sowing, vining, and flowering gave 83.35% protection to bitter gourd against B. cucurbitae. Diflubenzuron has also been reported to be effective in controlling the melon fly . Neem oil and neem cake have also been reported to be as effective as dichlorvos.

Host plant resistance. Host plant resistance is an important component in integrated pest management programs. It does not cause any adverse effects to the environment, and no extra cost is incurred to the farmers. Unfortunately success in developing high yielding and fruit fly-resistant varieties has been limited. There is a distinct possibility of transferring resistance genes in the cultivated genotypes from relatives of cucurbits for developing varieties resistant to melon fruit fly through wide hybridization.

HADDA BEETLE (Epilachna vigintiocto-punctate) Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera Family: Coccinellidae Genus: Epilachna Species: vigintioctopunctata HADDA BEETLE (Epilachna vigintiocto-punctate)

DISTRIBUTION This species originated in the far east of Russia and has been expanding its range in the second half of the 20th century and is now found over most of Russia, north-east China, northern Korea and Japan. It is also found in Australia. On 1 February 2010 it was reported that an entomologist had identified the presence of Hadda beetles in the Auckland area of New Zealand.

Food Plant and Nature Of Damage Both larvae and adults are destructive. It is a serious pest of brinjal, but have also liking for potato and tomato. In general they are pests of cucurbitaceous and solanaceous vegetable plants. The grubs and adults scrap out and feed on the green tissues of the leaves and skeletonize it, which ultimately dries up.

Life Cycle Marks of Identification Adult beetles are about 8 mm in length and 5-6 mm in breadth. The E. vigintioctopunctata is deep red coloured. The body is hemispherical and smooth. Adults are good fliers and moves from plant to plant.

Prevention andControl 1. The beetles, larvae and eggs can be hand collected and destroyed. 2. Spraying calcium arsonate and lime carbaryl (0.1%), parathion (0.025%), malathion (0.1%), fenitrothion (0.05%), DDT (0.1%), diazinon (0.02%) etc. is quite effective in keeping the pest population under control. 3. Thorough irrigation of infested crop can minimize the increase in pest population.