Name of Pests |
Nature of damage |
Control Measures |
Melon
Fruit fly
Dacus cucurbitae |
- Active during March-May
- Attack fruits,
- Reddish dark brown flies with hyaline
wings, lay eggs under the skin of the fruits;
- maggots feed on the pulp of fruits
- Infested fruits start rotting and
rendered them unfit for human consumption;
- fruits show dark-brown, rotten,
circular patches and fall off prematurely
|
- Clean cultivation, i.e. removal and
destruction of fallen & infested fruits daily.
- Deep ploughing to expose hibernating
stages.
- Application of spray baits.
- Spraying with 0.05% malathion or 0.2%
carbaryl at flowering.
|
Pumpkin beetle
Raphidopalpa
faveicollis |
Adults feed on the foliage, buds and
flowers:
Grubs feed on roots.
Beetles damage the leaves, flowers and
fruits. Making irregular holes and causing death and retardation of growth.
The grubs live in the soil and feed on
roots and stem of plant.
Fruits and leaves also get damaged when
comes in contact with soil.
Damaged roots, stems start rotting.
|
- Preventive measures like burning of old
creepers, ploughing & harrowing of field after harvest of crop to destroy the stages
of pest.
- Collection & destruction of beetle
in early stage of infestation.
- Spraying with 0.05% malathion or
dusting with 5% malathion dust @ 10 kg/ha.
- In case of heavy infestation resowing
is required to
|
| Blister beetle Mylabris pustulata. |
- Active during August to December
Black medium-sized beetles, feed on
pollen and petals of flowers; affecting fruit-setting;
|
- Hand collection & destruction of
beetles.
- Collect & destroy the conspicuous
beetles;
- dust 4% Carbaryl or spray 0.05%
Malathion
|
| Leaf-eating beetles Epilachna
duodecastigma |
Both grubs & beetles feed by
scrapping chlorophyll from epidermal layers of leaves which gradually dry away.
|
- Collect & destroy infested leaves
along with insects in the initial stages ;
- spray 0.1% Carbaryl or 0.05% Malathion
or Dichlorvos (DDVP)
|
| Pumpkin caterpillar Margaronia indica |
- Minor pest;
- Larvae bore into the stems.
|
- Cut and destroy affected stems
|
| Snake –gourd
semi-looper Plusia peponis |
- Stout dark-brown moths; caterpillars
light green with white longitudinal stripes feed on leaves and remain on the underside of
the leaves
|
- Collect and destroy caterpillars and
pupae;
- Dust 4% Carbaryl
|
| Pumpkin borer Apomecyna pertigera |
- Minor pest;
- larvae bore into the stems
|
- Cut and destroy affected stems
|
| Bottle-gourd plume moth
Sphenarches caffer |
- Small slender spiny caterpillars feed
on leaves
|
- Collect and destroy caterpillars and
pupae;
- Dust 4% Carbaryl
|
| Stink bugs Aspongopus janus |
- Red and pale-brown bugs, suck the sap
from the leaves and tender shoots and devitalize the plants
|
- Collect and destroy the congregating
bugs;
- Dust 4% Carbaryl or spray 0.05%
Malathion
|
| Cotton aphids Aphis gossypii |
- Colonies of nymphs and adults attack
leaves and tender shoots and suck the sap;
- Leaves curl and dry up.
|
- Remove infested leaves and shoots in
the initial stage;
- spray 0.02% Pyrethrins or 0.05%
Malathion or Dichlorvoe (DDVP)
|
| Flea beetle Phyllotreta
cruciferae |
- Small dark-grey beetles cut holes in
the leaves and may kill the seedlings.
|
- Dust 4% Carbaryl 0r Endosulfan
|
| Gall fly Lasioptera falcata F. |
- Adults are slender, dark brown and
mosquito-like;
- Grubs cause elongated gall-like
thickening on the distal shoots of bitter gourd.
|
- Remove and destroy affected shoots in
the early stage
|
| Mites Tetranychus cucurbitae |
- Large colonies feed on the leaves, and
are protected by fine shining webs;
- leaves develop grayish patches and dry
up
|
- Dust sulphur or spray 0.05% wettable
sulphur
|
