Download RED PUMPKIN BEETLE

CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom:Animalia
 Phylum:Arthropoda
 Class:Insecta
 Order:Coleoptera
 Family:Chrysomelidae
 Genus: AULACOPHORA
 Species: FOVEICOLLIS
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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.
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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
DAMAGE
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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.
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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
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.
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Sown early that the plant passes
the cotyledon stage by the time the
beetles become active.
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