Pests of Cucurbits_Bionomics_IPM_Dr.UPR.pptx

Fruit flies, Bactrocera cucurbitae, B. zonata, �B. ciliatus (Coquillet), Tephritidae, Diptera
Damage symptoms�Maggots feed on ripe fruits, riddling them and polluting the pulp.
Damage causes oozing of brown, resinous fluid from fruits and the fruits become distorted and malformed.
Premature dropping of fruits
Attacked fruits decay because of secondary bacterial infection.
After the first shower of the monsoon, the infestation often reaches 100 per cent.
Management
Grow resistant varieties, Arka tinda and Arka suryamukhi
In endemic areas, change the sowing dates as the fly population is low in hot dry conditions and it peaks during rainy season.
Use ribbed gourd as trap crop and apply carbaryl 1.0 kg  or malathion 1.0 L/ha in 500 L water  on congregating adult flies on the undersurface of leaves.
Use citronella oil (Kill the flies), eucalyptus oil (Detterent), vinegar (acetic acid), dextrose and lactic acid to trap flies.

1. Pests of Cucurbits By Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . Assistant Professor (Entomology) JSACAT Affiliated to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

2. Fruit flies, Bactrocera cucurbitae , B. zonata , B. ciliatus ( Coquillet ), Tephritidae , Diptera 1 Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology) Distribution and status: Commonest and most destructive pest throughout India. Also found in Pakistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, China, Formosa, Japan, East Africa, Australia and the Hawaiian Islands Two other allied species common in India are Dacus ciliatis and  Bactrocera dorsalis . Damage symptoms M aggots feed on ripe fruits, riddling them and polluting the pulp. Damage causes oozing of brown, resinous fluid from fruits and the fruits become distorted and malformed. Premature dropping of fruits Attacked fruits decay because of secondary bacterial infection. After the first shower of the monsoon, the infestation often reaches 100 per cent.

3. B. zonata Reddish-brown in color with yellowish markings, and a scutellum that is lighter in color than the rest of the body. B. ciliatus Smaller than B. cucurbitae , ferruginous brown body, prominent dark brown oval spot on either side of 3rd tergite . B. cucurbitae Hyaline wings with broad and prominent costal band, anal stripes well developed and hind cross vein thickly margined with brown and grey spots at the apex Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology)

4. Maggots dirty-white wriggling creatures, thicker at one end and tapering to a point at the other. The adult flies are reddish brown with lemon-yellow markings on the thorax. Adult flies emerge from pupae in the morning hours and mate at dusk. Pupae are barrel-shaped, light brown, pupal period  6-30 days. It pupates deep in the soil. There are several generations in a year Eggs are white to yellow-white, 0.8 mm long Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology)

5. Management Grow resistant varieties, Arka tinda and Arka suryamukhi In endemic areas, change the sowing dates as the fly population is low in hot dry conditions and it peaks during rainy season. Use ribbed gourd as trap crop and apply carbaryl 1.0 kg  or malathion 1.0 L/ha in 500 L water  on congregating adult flies on the undersurface of leaves. Use citronella oil (Kill the flies), eucalyptus oil ( Detterent ), vinegar (acetic acid), dextrose and lactic acid to trap flies . Frequent rake the soil to kill the pupae Collect infested fruits and dried leaves and dump in deep pits. Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology)

6. Apply the bait spray containing 50 ml of malathion 50 EC + 0.5 kg of gur /sugar in 50 L of water per ha. Repeated at weekly intervals. Spray the bait on the maize plants grown as trap crop Use fly trap: Keep 5 g of wet fishmeal in plastic container  with six holes (3 mm dia ). Add a drop (0.1 ml) of dichlorvos in cotton plug and keep it inside the container. Dichlorvos should be added every week and fishmeal renewed once in 20 days (20 traps/acre ). Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology)

7. Use fly traps having methyl eugenol soaked plywood pieces (2” x 2 ”). Conserve pupal parasitoids  viz ., Opius fletcheri , O. compensatus   and  O.  insisus   ( Braconidae ),   Spalangia philippinensis  and  Pachycepoideus debrius . ( Pteromalidae ),   Dirhinus giffardi  and  D. lzonensis  . ( Chalcididae ). ***Caution In cucurbits, DDT, lindane 1.3 D, copper oxychloride, Bordeaux mixture and sulphur dust should not be used as these are highly phytotoxic. Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology)

8. Pumpkin beetles,   Aulacophora foveicollis , A. cincta , A. intermedia,   Galerucidae , Coleoptera 2 Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology) Damage symptoms Both grubs and beetles cause damage Grubs feed on roots, underground stems of creepers and on fruits lying in contact with the soil A dults feed on above ground plant parts   Distribution and status:  Widely distributed in Asia, Australia, southern Europe and Africa. Serious pest

9. A. foveicollis Red orange, 6.8 mm long A. c incta Grey with black having glistening yellow border A. intermedia Blue in color Pest breeds five times in a year Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology)

10. 300 oval, yellow eggs laid singly or in batches of 8-9 in moist soil, near the base of the plants. Grub period 13- 25 days pupate in thick-walled earthen chambers in the soil, at a depth of about 20-25 cm. Adults are oblong , 5-8 mm long, beetles are found concealed in groups. Management Early planting of pumpkin during October – November to avoid damage by this pest Frequent raking of soil beneath the crop to expose and kill the eggs and grubs. Hand collection and destruction of infested leaves and fruits. Spray malathion 50 EC 750 ml, dimethoate 30 EC 500 ml, methyl demeton 25 EC 500 ml, 500 g of carbaryl 50 WP in 500-750 L of water per ha or apply 7.0 kg of carbofuran 3G per ha 3-4 cm deep in the soil near the base of the plants just after germination and irrigate. Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology)

11. Leaf eating caterpillar, Plusia peponis , P. signata and P. orichalcea , Noctuidae , Lepidoptera 3 Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology) Distribution and status: Regular and serious pest all over the country Damage symptoms The caterpillar cuts the edges of leaf lamina, folds it over the leaf and feeds from within leaf roll. Larva is a greenish semi looper

12. Management Collect and destroy caterpillars. Encourage activity of  Apanteles plusia  and  A. taragamae Spray malathion 50 EC 750 ml, dimethoate 30 EC 500 ml, methyl demeton 25 EC 500 ml in 500-750 L of water per ha Moths are very active at dusk Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology)

13. Serpentine leaf miner, Liriomyza trifolii , Agromyzidae , Diptera 4 Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology) Symptoms of damage Leaves with serpentine mines Drying and dropping of leaves

14. Snake gourd semi looper ,  Diaphania indica , Pyraustidae , Lepidoptera 5 Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology) Distribution and status: Widely distributed in India Damage symptoms Larvae webs leaves and feed. Ovaries and young developing fruits are also eaten. Affected flowers bears no fruits and infested fruits become unfit for consumption .

15. Adult has transparent white wings with broad and dark brown marginal patches and orange coloured anal tuft of hairs in the female. Eggs are laid singly or in groups on the lower surface of the leaves Pupation takes place in a cocoon in the flowers Larva bright green with a pair of thin white longitudinal lines on the dorsal side Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology)

16. Management Collect and early stage caterpillars. Spray Malathion 50 EC or dimethoate 30Ec or methyl demeton 25 EC 500 ml in 500 L of water. DDT, lindane 1.3 D, copper oxychloride, Bordeaux mixture and sulphur dust should not be used as these are highly phytotoxic. Encourage the activity of larval parasitoid of namely Apanteles spp. Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology)

17. Stem gall fly, Neolasioptera falcata , Cecidomyiidae , Diptera 6 Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology) Maggot feeds within distal stems of bitter-gourd, ribbed and smooth gourds causing formation of elongated galls in between nodes. Gall formation causes stunting of plants.     Remove and destroy the affected shoots in the early stages of infestation.

18. Stem borer / clear winged moth, Melittia eurytion , Aegeriidae , Lepidoptera 7 Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology) Distribution and status: India, Burma, Sri Lanka, China, Pakistan, Japan, Indonesia, Korea It is a pest of snake gourd and occurs widely in India. Moth is clear winged with fan like tufts of hairs on hind legs. White larvae bore into the stems producing galls. Frass comes out of the gall through a hole made on it . Plants stunted with poor foliage. Pupal period 20-24 days in earthen cocoon in soil.

19. Stemboring grey beetle, Apomecyna saltator , Cerambycidae , Coleoptera 8 Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology) Distribution :  In  South India, it attacks  Coccinea  vines, which die as a result. Total life cycle takes 80-98 days Grubs bore into the long trailing stems at or near a node and tunnel inside. Adult beetles gnaw the leaf petioles and soft parts of the stem. Female is a white spotted greyish- brown longicorn beetle and the male is smaller and black

20. White Plume moth, Sphenarches caffer , Pterophoridae , lepidoptera 9 Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology) Distribution:   Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia . This is a common pest of bottle-gourd in South India. Adult is a tiny plume moth. Both larva and pupa have spines on the body. Larva feeds on the foliage.

21. Stink bug, Aspongopus janus , Pentatomidae , Hemiptera 10 Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology) Distribution: south and east Asia, T hroughout India but is more prevalent in Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and southern states It is a large red and black bug found clinging to the leaves and tender shoots in large numbers. Nymphs and adults emit a buggy smell and suck sap from the tender parts and thereby devitalize the plants and retard their growth .

22. Hadda / Spotted beetle, H. vigintioctopunctata , Coccinellidae, Coleoptera 11 Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology) Symptoms of damage Scrapping of chlorophyll Skeletonization and drying of leaves H. viginti octo punctata 20 8

23. Blister beetle, Hycleus ( Mylabris ) pustulatus , Meloidae , Coleoptera 12 H. pustulatus Beetles occur solitarily or in swarms and devour all the floral parts. Adult beetles feed on floral parts including petals, anthers, stigma and ovary. Blister beetles contains  cantharidin , a toxic defensive chemical, if contacted with skin, can result in a painful blister. Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology) China, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan

24. Snake gourd stem weevil, Baris trichosanthis , Curculionidae, Coleoptera 13 Dr. U. Pirithiraj , P.hD . (Entomology) The grubs of which tunnel through the tender shoots and leaf petioles and cause withering of the same