All in
the family
} Cucumber
} Squashes
} Pumpkin
} Muskmelon and cantaloupe
} Watermelon
} Gourds
These
are all members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae and are referred to as
“cucurbits
Melon
Insect Pests
ü Pumpkin beetle
ü Leaf minor
ü Fruit fly
ü Whitefly
ü Aphid
ü Mite
Pumpkin
beetles - Aulacophora foveicollis
Identification
of pest
} Freshly hatched dirty white.
} Full grown grub creamy yellow in
colour.
} Adult
} Dorsal side orange in colour whereas
ventral side is black.
Symptoms of
damage
} Grubs feeds on the roots, stem and
fruits touching the soil.
} Adult feeds on leaf and flowers.
Management
} Plough the fields just after
harvesting destroy the hibernating adults.
} Collect and destroy adult beetles.
} Dusting with carbaryl, malathion and
permethrin.
} Spraying with cypermethrin,
deltamethrin and cyhalothrin.
Fruit
flies - Bactrocera cucurbitae
Identification
of pest
◦
Eggs
laid singly in clusters under the fruit pericarp.
◦
Larva- Dirty
white apodous maggot.
◦
Pupa –
pupate in soil
◦
Adult-
hyaline wings with brown and grey spots at the apex.-Reddish brown with lemon
yellow markings on the thorax.
Symptoms of
damage
} Maggots feed on the pulp of the
fruits.
} Oozing of resinous fluid from
fruits.
} Distorted and malformed fruits.
Premature
dropping of fruits and also unfit for consumption
Management
} Collect destroy infested fruits.
} Expose the pupae by ploughing and
turning over soil after harvest.
} Use attractants like citronella oil,
eucalyptus oil, vinegar (acetic acid), and lactic acid to trap flies.
} Mix methyl eugenol + Trichlorifon 50
EC at 1:1 ratio and keep 10 ml of the bait in polythene bags @ 25/ha.
Leaf
miner- Liriomyza trifolii
Identification
of pest
} Larva: Minute orange yellowish apodous maggots.
} Pupa: Pupates within mines.
} Adult: Pale yellow in colour.
Symptoms of
damage
} Leaves with serpentine mines.
Drying and
dropping of leaves due to severe infestation
Management
} Collect and destroy mined leaves.
} Avoid planting adjacent to cotton
and alfalfa if possible.
} Deep plowing after harvesting crops
aids in reducing leafminer numbers.
} Use of Parasites and parasitoids
wasps.
} Spray NSKE 3%
Two-spotted
Spider Mite - Tetranychus spp
Identification
and description
} Spider mites are very small and are
difficult to see with the naked eye.
} Numerous generations per year.
High
temperature and low humidity are the optimum conditions for growth and
development
Symptoms of
damage
} Damage the leaves by sucking cell
sap.
} Destroy chlorophyl and ultimately
reduce photosynthetic activity.
} Damaged leaves become pale, stippled
and can dry up and die under heavy infestations.
Management
} Use natural enemies like predatory
mites and thrips, minute pirate bugs and lacewings.
} Good irrigation and fertilization
management increases plant tolerance to mites.
} Spray acaricides e.g. Docofol,
Fenpyroximate
Whitefly
- Bemisia tabaci
Identification
and Description
} The adult is a small insect, the
body and wings covered with a whitish powdery wax.
} Adults and eggs are most prevalent
on the lower surface of younger leaves and the scalelike nymphs on older
leaves.
} It complete 2-3 generations in melon
growing season
Symptoms of
damage
} Suck the cell sap.
} Secrete sugary material on which
sooty mold grow.
} Reduction in photosynthesis
activity.
} Heavy populations on young plants
can cause desiccation of leaves and plant death.
Fruit
quality and quantity both are effected
Management
} Use natural enemies i.e., Encarsia and Eretmocerus spp,
etc.
} Destruction of alternate host
plants.
} Spray acetamaprid, imidacloprid,
buprofezin, pyriproxifen
Aphids
} The winged adult stage is of primary
concern because of their ability vector viral diseases.
} Nymphs appear as smaller versions of
the wingless adults.
Symptoms of
damage
Management
} Use of natural enemies.
} Apply insecticides with systemic
mode of action
Elements
of vegetable pest control practices
} Proper identification of problem
early enough to control.
} Timing of control measures at
critical time.
} Thorough complete application-
repeated if necessary.
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