Crop Pests, Stored Grain Pests and their Management -ENT-312 (2+1), 3rd year, 5th semester

[ Dr. U. K. Behera, Asst. Prof (ENT)] CAB-2020-21

Insect pests of sweet potato
Crop- Sweet Potato
S. Name- Ipomea batatas Poir
Family- Solanaceae
Sl. Name of the insects Scientific name Order Family
No
1 Sweet potato Weevil* Cylas formicarius (Fabricius) Coleoptera Curculionidae
2 Sweet potato Hornworm, Agrius cingulatus (Fabricius) Lepidoptera Sphingidae
3 Sweet potato Flea Beetle Chaetocnema confinis Crotch Coleoptera Chrysomelidae
4 Southern Armyworm, Spodoptera eridania (Cramer) Lepidoptera Noctuidae,
5 Small Fruit Flies, Drosophila melanogaster Meigan, Diptera Drosophilidae
6 Argus tortoise beetle, Chelymorpha cassidea(Fabricius) Coleoptera Chrysomelidae,
Blacklegged tortoise beetle, Jonthonata nigripes (Olivier)
Golden tortoise beetle, Metriona bicolor (Fabricius)
Mottled tortoise beetle, Deloyala guttata (Olivier)
Striped tortoise beetle, Agrioconota bivittata (Say)
7 Spring Rose Beetle Strigoderma arboricola Fabricius Coleoptera Scarabaeidae,

1 Sweet potato Weevil Cylas formicarius Coleoptera Curculionidae

Distribution
Sweet potato and related wild plants such as morning glory (ornamental plant) are the only hosts of sweet potato
weevils.
Marks of Identification
Adult - This ant-like snout beetle is about 6 mm long. The head
and wing covers are metallic dark blue and the thorax and legs,
bright red-orange.
Egg - Each white or pale yellow egg is inserted into a shallow
hole in the vine. Broadly oval and about 0.6 mm long, the egg is
slightly narrower at the attached end. The dark head of the larva
becomes visible inside the egg, just before hatching.
Larva - The fat, legless, slightly crescent-shaped grub has a dirty
white to gray body and a pale brown head. When fully grown it is
about 9 mm long.
Pupa - When newly formed, the pupa is the same color as the
larva and about 5 mm long. Before transformation to the adult,
the eyes, wing pads, and legs turn dark brown and the rest of the
body is pale yellow. The last abdominal segment has two outward
and backward curved tubercles.

Life cycle
➢ Beetles become active in the field as soon as host plants are available particularly in rainy season.
➢ They first feed on leaves and stems.
➢ As plant stalks enlarge and become woody, adult females prepare to deposit eggs.
➢ They make holes in stems and fleshy roots near the soil surface.
➢ Eggs are placed in these holes and covered with a jelly-like secretion. Each female deposits an average of 120
eggs.
➢ Larvae hatch in 3-7 days after eggs are laid. They burrow deep into stems and fleshy roots for about 2 to 3 weeks.

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 Crop Pests, Stored Grain Pests and their Management -ENT-312 (2+1), 3rd year, 5th semester
[ Dr. U. K. Behera, Asst. Prof (ENT)] CAB-2020-21
➢ At the end of this period, third instar larvae return to the plant surface nearest the soil line to pupate.
➢ Pupae transform into adults in about a week, but another 4 days often elapse before the new beetles emerge from
their pupal cells.
➢ Adults live about 2.5 to 3 months in summer and up to 8 months in winter.
➢ Sweet potato weevils continue to feed and breed throughout winter in stored sweet potatoes.
➢ Development and activity, however, are much slower at temperatures below 150C.
➢ As many as 6 to 8 generations may be produced each year.

Damage symptom
➢ These weevils and their larvae are the most destructive sweet potato pests.
➢ Infestations may reduce plant growth during the first month after planting, but other damage often is not evident
until harvest.
➢ Larvae and adults feed on foliage but they prefer to attack stems and sweet potatoes underground.
➢ Small holes scattered over the surface of infested sweet potatoes, particularly at the stem end, are the beetles'
egg-laying and/or feeding punctures which cause sweet potatoes to turn bitter. Such sweet potatoes are unfit
either for human consumption or livestock feed.
Management
• Cultural practices such as crop rotation, use of weevil-free planting stock, and destruction of volunteer plants and
crop residue are primary elements of weevil control.
• Planting sweet potatoes in the same fields year after year leads to increased weevil populations. If slips for
planting cannot be obtained from a weevil-free area, each sweet potato chosen for seed should be examined
carefully and destroyed if infested.
• Also, use of deep-rooted varieties over shallow-rooted varieties is advisable.
• Postharvest insecticide treatments can be applied to prevent development of weevils in storage.
• Treated sweet potatoes, however, will need to be washed thoroughly once they are removed from storage.

2 Sweet potato Hornworm Agrius cingulatus (Fabricius) Lepidoptera Sphingidae

Distribution
Host Plants – Sweet potato and morning glory are the primary food plants of this hornworm although jimsonweed
has also been reported as a host.
Marks of Identification
Adult - This grayish, heavy-bodied moth has a wingspan of 105 to 110 mm. The hind wings
and abdomen bear bright pink bands.
Egg - Nearly spherical and about 1 mm in diameter, the translucent egg has a slightly
greenish tint.
Larva - The first instar of the sweet potato hornworm has a white body and a black anal
horn. Later instars are basically green or brown with prominent, slanted black markings on
each side of the body and a black anal horn. The head is also green or brown with 3 dark
stripes on each side. A fifth instar hornworm may be 90 mm or more in length.
Pupa - The reddish-brown pupa is about 15 mm wide and 64 mm long. The large tongue
case has a pitcher-handle-like appearance.
Life cycle
Its life history is very similar to that of tomato and tobacco hornworms. Moths appear in early June, again in August
and September, and once more in early fall. There are 2-3 generations per year.
Damage symptom
These large worms consume much foliage leaving only bare stems and petioles on plants. Sweet potato hornworms
have been reported to display armyworm-like habits.
Larvae often hide under large leaves at the base of plants.
Management
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 Crop Pests, Stored Grain Pests and their Management -ENT-312 (2+1), 3rd year, 5th semester
[ Dr. U. K. Behera, Asst. Prof (ENT)] CAB-2020-21
In small gardens, hornworms can be controlled simply by picking them off plants. Chemical control, however, may
be necessary in commercial production.
3 Sweet potato Flea Beetle Chaetocnema confinis Crotch Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Distribution
The sweet potato flea beetle occurs in practically all areas of this country where sweet potatoes are grown.
Host Plants - Sweet potato, corn, small grains, bindweed, raspberry, and sugar beet are the main food plants of this
pest.
Marks of Identification
Adult - The tiny oval beetle is black with a bronze tinge and about 1.6 mm long. It has reddish-yellow legs and
deeply ridged wing covers.
Egg - Each white, oblong-oval egg is about 0.2 mm long.
Larva - The slender, white, cylindrical larva has three pairs of legs near its
head. It is about 4.8 mm long when fully grown. This larva has no dark spot or
fleshy tubercle on its tail-end like cucumber beetle or pale striped flea beetle
larvae.
Pupae - The pupa is white at first but gradually darkens and is approximately
the same size and shape as the adult.

Life cycle
Sweet potato flea beetles overwinter as adults under logs and leaves, along
fence rows, and at the edges of wooded areas. They resume activity in spring
and begin to deposit eggs in soil near host plants. A few days later eggs hatch.
Newly emerged grubs feed for about 3 weeks before pupating in the soil.
During summer, the entire life cycle is often completed in 30 days. Several generations per year are possible. From
June onwards flea beetle populations on sweet potato decline.
Damage symptom
Adult flea beetles feed on foliage leaving narrow channels or grooves in the upper surfaces of leaves. These injured
areas turn brown and die. Larvae live underground and feed on roots. Shallow winding tunnels etched into root
surfaces indicate an infestation of flea beetle larvae. These tunnels eventually darken and split open leaving shallow
scars. This type of damage usually is restricted to fibrous roots, but, during heavy infestations, larvae may injure the
fleshy marketable portion of roots in the same manner as fibrous roots.
Management
Cultural practices are instrumental in preventing flea beetle infestations. Controlling weeds along fence rows and
ploughing under crop debris destroy overwintering and egg-laying sites
In fields with a history of flea beetle infestation, chemical control is quite effective. Preplant, soil-applied insecticides
are used for management of this pest.

4 Southern Armyworm, Spodoptera eridania (Cramer) Noctuidae Lepidoptera

Host Plants - This armyworm is a general feeder with a wide host range. Weeds like
spiny amaranth and pokeweed are preferred food plants. Some vegetable crop hosts
include beet, cabbage, carrot, celery, collards, corn, cowpea, eggplant, okra, pepper,
potato, rhubarb, sweet potato, and tomato.

Marks of Identification
Adult - The southern armyworm moth has a wingspan of 30 to 36 mm. The forewings
may vary in color from pale yellowish to dark brown. A darker streak extends from the

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 Crop Pests, Stored Grain Pests and their Management -ENT-312 (2+1), 3rd year, 5th semester
[ Dr. U. K. Behera, Asst. Prof (ENT)] CAB-2020-21
center of each forewing almost out to the wing tip. The hind wings are white with brown veins and margins.
Egg - The circular greenish egg is about 0.5 mm wide and 0.4 mm high. Viewed under magnification, the egg can be
seen to have a ridged surface.
Larva - The fully grown caterpillar is gray or nearly black with whitish stripes tinged orange or pink and is about 36
mm long. The background body color sometimes has a green or pink tint. Viewed from above, the larva has a pair of
black triangular spots on each body segment, except the segment near the head bearing the first pair of legs. The
larva has 3 pairs of true legs and 5 pairs of prolegs. The head capsule is pale yellow with bright reddish-brown
markings. The southern armyworm does not have a white inverted "V" on its head capsule.
Pupa - The darkly colored pupa is about 18 mm long and 5 mm wide.
Life cycle
Southern armyworms overwinter either as larvae or pupae. Each female deposits hundreds of eggs in masses on
foliage. These masses are fuzzy in appearance since they are covered with scales from the bodies of moths. Eggs
hatch in 4 to 6 days. For approximately 17 days, larvae feed and develop through 6 instars. At the end of this time,
larvae drop by means of silken threads to the soil surface, enter the soil, and pupate. Nine to 13 days later a new
generation of moths emerge. About 5 weeks elapse from egg stage to adult emergence during the summer. It
completes as many as 5 generations per year.
Damage symptom
Though southern armyworms feed primarily on leaves, they have been known to consume tender stems and tips of
branches. These caterpillars feed freely during the daytime but often are not observed because they tend to
congregate around the bases of plants. Here they gnaw on stems or feed on potato tubers or sweet potatoes near the
soil surface. During the morning and evening, or on cloudy days, southern armyworms are likely to be found on
foliage.
Management (Same as Spodoptera)

5 Small Fruit Flies Drosophila melanogaster Meigan Diptera Drosophilidae

Distribution - Cosmopolitan in occurrence, small fruit flies are most likely to attain large populations around piles of
overripe produce or in sweet potato storage houses.
Feeding Habits - Drosophila flies consume yeast and bacteria associated with the initial decay of plant materials.
Sap flows, mushrooms, and overripe produce are all very attractive to these flies.
Marks of Identification
Adult - About 3 mm long, these flies have red eyes and yellowish bodies with
dark bands. Though commonly referred to as fruit flies, they are more correctly
termed small fruit flies, vinegar flies, or pomace flies.
Egg - The tiny white elongate eggs are only about 0.5 mm long and have 2
slender filaments near the head end. Though individual eggs are too small to be
easily noticed, clusters of eggs often resemble white mold on the surface of
produce.
Larva - The cream colored maggots develop through three instars. They are
about 5 mm long when fully grown.
Pupa - Yellowish-white at first, the 3-mm-long pupae soon turn brown.
Life cycle
Small fruit flies sometimes overwinter as larvae or pupae in sheltered locations
with an abundance of dry fermented plant material. However, they have been
known to breed throughout the winter in sweet potato storage houses and in root. Eggs are deposited in cracked
produce and incubate about 24 hours before hatching. Larvae feed and develop to maturity in about 4 days. Pupation
then occurs within the shrunken skin of the last larval instar. About 5 days later, adult flies emerge. Within 2 days,
females begin ovipositing at the rate of about 25 eggs per day. This process continues for several weeks, each female
eventually depositing an average of 500 eggs.
The length of a complete life cycle (adult to adult) varies with temperature (8-15 days.
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 Crop Pests, Stored Grain Pests and their Management -ENT-312 (2+1), 3rd year, 5th semester
[ Dr. U. K. Behera, Asst. Prof (ENT)] CAB-2020-21
Damage symptom
Unlike real fruit flies, Drosophila flies do not break the skin of sound fruits and vegetables. They breed only in
cracked or decaying overripe produce. As a result, these flies and their maggots are most likely to develop large
populations in discard masses, storage houses, or processing plants.

Management
Small fruit flies are subject to many natural enemies. Adults are parasitized by protozoa, fungi, nematodes, and mites
and preyed upon by spiders and certain species of flies. Maggots are parasitized by certain wasps and preyed upon by
staphylinid beetle larvae.
Infestations can be prevented by the destruction of piles of culled produce. Storage houses should be well screened
and sealed to minimize fly entrance as much as possible. Still, chemical control in storage areas may be necessary.

6 Tortoise beetle, Chelymorpha cassidea (Argus tortois beetle) Coleoptera Chrysomelidae

Host Plants - Most tortoise beetles feed on sweet potato and closely related plants such as morning glory and
bindweed. Argus tortoise beetles also infest cabbage, corn, raspberry, strawberry, milkweed, and plantain. Golden
tortoise beetles have been found on eggplant.
Marks of Identification
Adult - These oblong-oval beetles are basically gold in color with various black
and/or red markings depending upon species. Slightly flattened and squared at the
shoulders, tortoise beetles' bodies are somewhat shell-like in appearance. Body
margins extend in a roof-like manner over much of the head and legs. Most species
are 5 to 8 mm long.
Egg - Tortoise beetle eggs usually occur in masses. Each individual egg is stalked,
the long stalk being attached on the plant surface by gelatinous substance. The
mushroom shaped white eggs of some species have a reddish tubercle on the upper
end. Eggs are about 1.6 mm long.
Larva - The spined larvae may be basically dull yellow, brown, or green
depending upon the particular species. They all have black heads, prothoracic
shields (area behind head), legs, spots, spine-like setae, and anal forks. The anal
forks are long spines near the tip of the abdomen which hold large masses of
excrement. Fully grown larvae are 10 to 12 mm long.
Pupa - Pupae are oblong-oval in shape like adult beetles but have spines along the
abdomen like larvae. They are approximately the same size as adult beetles.
Life cycle- Tortoise beetles overwinter as adults under bark, in leaf litter, or in
other dry, protected places. In spring, beetles emerge and feed on weed hosts until sweet potato plants are available.
Female adults deposit clusters of 15 to 30 eggs on the undersides of leaves. Larvae emerge 7 to 10 days later. After
feeding for 2-1/2 to 3 weeks, larvae transform into pupae. About a week later, a new generation of beetles emerges.
Several generations may occur in a year.
Damage symptom- Both larvae and adults feed on leaves causing them to be riddled with holes. This type of
damage is most threatening to seedlings or newly set plants.
Management- Tortoise beetles and other leaf-feeding insects do not affect sweet potato production if growing
conditions are satisfactory. Cultural practices such as adequate fertilization, good weed control, and well-timed
planting effectively deter excessive tortoise beetle injury. Generally, chemical control is not necessary.

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 Crop Pests, Stored Grain Pests and their Management -ENT-312 (2+1), 3rd year, 5th semester
[ Dr. U. K. Behera, Asst. Prof (ENT)] CAB-2020-21
7 Spring Rose Beetle Strigoderma arboricola Fabricius Coleoptera Scarabaeidae
Marks of Identification
Adult - This slightly hairy beetle, sometimes referred to as the spring rose beetle, is
basically greenish-black with a greenish-purple iridescence. The wing covers, however, are
dull brownish-yellow in color. The beetle averages 10 to 12 mm long.
Egg - At first oval in shape, each white egg gradually enlarges, becoming more globose
(Spherical; globular). From an initial size of 2 by 1.2 mm, the egg often increases in size to
2.5 by 2 mm.
Larva - The dirty white grub has a brown head and 3 pairs of forelegs. About 4 mm long
when newly emerged; it reaches a maximum length of about 25 mm and resembles a
common white grub in shape.
Pupa - The pupa is white when first formed but gradually darkens as it matures. It is approximately the same size
and shape as the adult beetle.
Life cycle
These insects overwinter as larvae in soil. In spring, grubs hollow out elongate, slightly curved earthen cells about 30
mm long. Within these cells, they spend approximately 6 days as inactive prepupae and 13 days as pupae. Several
days after mating, females deposit eggs singly in soil (4 to 5 eggs/female based on lab studies). Eggs hatch an
average of 17 days after deposition. By the time larvae begin feeding, at least one month has elapsed since adult
emergence. Only one generation is completed each year.
Damage symptom
These grubs feed on most underground plant parts. In certain cases they have been known to strip the taproot bare.
Sweet potatoes injured by these grubs have large but shallow feeding scars over their surface.
Management
White grub infestations are typically associated with fields formerly in sod or pasture. Such a relationship has not
been documented for Strigoderma arboricola grubs, but it may exist nonetheless. Chemically, these grubs are
controlled by granular insecticides incorporated into the soil before planting.

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