2. CLASSIFICATION  Kingdom:AnimaliaAnimalia  Phylum:ArthropodaArthropoda  Class:InsectaInsecta  Order:ColeopteraColeoptera  Family:Chrysomelidae  Genus: AULACOPHORA  Species: FOVEICOLLIS

3.  Identification: Adults are 6 – 7mm in length and yellow/orange. The Banded Pumpkin beetle has four large black spots on the back and the Plain Pumpkin beetle has no spots. Larvae of both types are creamy-white in colour and about 10–12mm long.

4.  Life cycle: Adults lay up to 500 eggs in clusters on dead leaves or into the soil amongst the roots of the plants where, once hatched, the creamy white larvae will feed until they pupate and emerge as adults. Adults can live for around 9 months

5. DAMAGE  Nature of damage:  Infested Leaf· Adult beetles feed voraciously on the leaf lamina by making irregular holes.  · The maximum damage is done when the crop is in the cotyledon stage. The first generation is therefore more injurious than the subsequent generations.  · The adult insect also feed on the leaves of grown up plant by scrapping off their chlorophyll and make the leaves net like appearance.  · The attacked plants may wither away and re-sowing of the crop may become necessary in certain cases.  · The larvae cause damage in various ways by boring into the roots and the underground stem portion and by feeding on the leaves and fruits line in contact with the soil.  · The damaged roots and the underground roots and the underground stems portion may rot due to infection by the saprophytic fungi.  · The young and smaller fruits of the infested creepers may dry up, whereas the bigger and mature fruits become unfit for human consumption.

6.  Pumpkin beetles are usually found in aggregations within the crop on both young and old leaves. Adult Pumpkin beetles feed on the leaves of cucurbits, chewing large holes and often leaving only the veins of the leaves. Young seedlings are particularly susceptible to damage as small numbers of beetles can cause total defoliation and death. Larval damage to the roots is usually minimal and the plants are rarely affected

7. CONTROL  Spraying of contact insecticides like carbaryl 10% DP has been effective in controlling beetles, but repeated application at an interval of 7 days are necessary.  · Using neem oil cake in the soil has been reported to kill the pest larvae.  · Sown early that the plant passes the cotyledon stage by the time the beetles become active.