INSECT PESTS

IDENTIFICATION AND
MANAGEMENT

CIRILO G. MAATA
Farm Supervisor / eGBU TWG
Office of the Provincial Agriculturist
Ecopark, Upper Turno, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte
 Life cycle of an insect
(complete)

Eggs (3-6
days)
Larva (12-18
days)
Adult (3-6
days)

Pupa (6-10
days)
Complete metamorphosis 2
Life cycle of an insect
(incomplete)

3
 Categories of Insects
Category of insects and
stages causing damage

4
AVRDC guide
 Damages by insects
Sucking
insects
Miners and
borers
Chewing
insects
Not always easy to evaluate the damages, particularly from sucking
5
insects as damages can be little but the consequences are important
on virus transmission
Diagnosis and insect-damaged crop

6
Fruit fly
Vegetables
Adult fruit ● Cucurbits
fly ● Solanaceous

Parts of the plant affected

● Fruits

Management and Control Method:

● Regular monitoring
● Wrap the fruit at early stage
● Use of attractants ( pheromones )
Punctures made by Fruit fly maggots
as Zorgen/Cuelure or natural
adult fruit fly feeding inside the fruit attractant to eliminate or control
the population of male fly 7

● Spray insecticides such as

Dinotefuran, Thiamethoxam,
Imidacloprid (refer to crop guides)
Leaf miner (Liriomyza sp.)
Vegetables
● Cucurbits
● Solanaceous
● Legumes
● Allium
● Okra
Adult leafminer Larvae Parts of the plant affected
● Leaves

Management and Control Method:

● Regular monitoring
● Remove affected part of plants
● Use sticky traps
Pupa Tunnels/
● Spray insecticides such as
mines 8
dinotefuran, abamectin, fipronil,
lambda-cyhalothrin (refer to crop
guides)
Leaf miner (Tuta absoluta)
Vegetables
● Tomato
● Eggplant
● Cucumber
● French Bean

Parts of the plant affected

● Leaves, fruits

Management and Control Method:

● Regular monitoring
● Remove affected part of plants
● Use sticky traps, pheromone traps
● Spray insecticides such as
9
spinosad, abamectin, indoxacarb
Pod borer
Vegetables
Legumes

Parts of the plant affected

● Pods
Larva
Adult Management and Control
Method:
● Regular monitoring
● Removal of infected pods
● Spray insecticides such as
lambda-cyhalothrin,
Larva feeding on yardlong beans
spinosad, abamectin and
10
chlorantraniliprole
Eggplant shoot and fruit
borer
Vegetables
Larva feeding on
Solanaceous
eggplant fruit
Parts of the plant affected
Branches and fruits

Management and Control Method:

● Regular monitoring
● Removing diseased and affected fruit and
sprout
Adult
● Deep plowing and harrowing to minimize
pupation in the soil
● Use pheromone lure EFSB (e.g. Trap) for
population control, if available
● Spray insecticides such as lambda-
cyhalothrin, spinosad, abamectin and
chlorantraniliprole
Wilted shoot
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Leaf folder
Vegetables
● Cucurbits

Parts of the plant affected

● Leaves

Management and Control Method:

● Regular monitoring
Adult Larva ● Remove affected part of plants and the
worm
● Using mg microbial insecticides such as
Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) and
Nucleopolyhedrosis virus (NPV)
● Spray insecticides such as lambda-
cyhalothrin, spinosad, abamectin and
chlorantraniliprole
Larva feeding on fruit Damage on leaves ● Using light trap

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Fruitworm
Vegetables
● Cucurbits
● Solanaceous
● Legumes
● Allium

Parts of the plant affected

● Fruit and leaves

Management and Control Method:

Adult Larvae ● Regular monitoring
● Removal of the larvae to reduce the
Damage on fruits population
● Removal and disposal of damaged
leaves and fruits
● Deep plowing to avoid storing or
pupate in the soil
● Spray insecticides such as lambda-
cyhalothrin, spinosad, abamectin and
Pepper Bitter gourd Tomato chlorantraniliprole
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Cutworm
Vegetables
All vegetables

Parts of the plant affected

Larva ● Leaves
Adult
Management and Control Method:
● Regular monitoring
Eggs Pupa ● Removal of the adult worms and
to reduce the population
● Plowing and harrowing to destroy
dormant insect in the soil
● Weeding
● Spray insecticides such as lambda-
cyhalothrin, spinosad, abamectin
and chlorantraniliprole

Damage on leaves
14
Squash beetle
Vegetables
Cucurbits

Parts of the plant affected

Leaves

Adult Management and Control

Method:
● Regular monitoring
● Remove the adult worms
to reduce the population
● Plowing and harrowing
Typical damage (holes) on leaves
to control the pupa
● Spray insecticides such as 15

lambda-cyhalothrin and
abamectin
Spotted beetle
Vegetables
Solanaceous

Parts of the plant affected

Leaves

Adult Larvae
Management and Control
Skeletonized leaves due to heavy Method:
feeding ● Regular monitoring
● Remove the adult
worms to reduce the
population
● Plowing and harrowing
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to control the pupa
● Spray insecticides such
as lambda-cyhalothrin
and abamectin
Red spider mite
Vegetables
Mites on the undersides of the ● Eggplant
leaves ● Legumes
● Papaya
● Crucifers

Parts of the plant affected

Fruits and leaves

Management and Control Method:

● Regular monitoring, control at
early stage.
● Removal of damaged leaves and
fruits
● Spray of botanical insecticides like
neem , hot pepper, and garlic
extract
● Spray insecticides such as
lambda-cyhalothrin and
abamectin
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Broad mites
Vegetables
● Crucifers
● Hot and sweet pepper
● Papaya

Parts of the plant affected

Branches, Fruits and leaves

Curling of pepper Management and Control Method:

● Regular monitoring
leaves
● Remove the infected fruits, leaves and
branches
● Spray of botanical insecticides like
neem, hot pepper, garlic extract and
kakawate extract
● Smoking
● Spray insecticides such as lambda-
cyhalothrin and abamectin
Damage on pepper
18
Whitefly
Vegetables
● Cucurbits
● Solanaceous
Immatures ● Legumes
● Okra

Adult whitefly Parts of the plant affected

Tomato Yellow Leaf Leaves
Curl Virus
Management and Control Method:
● Regular monitoring
● Weeding to destroy host plan
● Use of yellow sticky traps
Squash Leaf Curl Virus ● Use of plastic mulch to prevent
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population growth
● Spray insecticides such as
imidacloprid, lambda-
Aphids Vegetables
● Cucurbits
● Solanaceous
● Okra
● Papaya
● Legumes

Parts of the plant affected

Leaves and flowers

Management and Control Method:

● Regular monitoring
● Uproot the whole plant if there is infection or
disease
● Use yellow sticky traps to prevent population
growth
● Spray of botanical ( plant extracts ) insecticides
Use of plastic mulch
● Spray insecticides like imidacloprid, lambda-
cyhalothrin, dinotefuran and thiocyclam oxalate
CABYV PRSV ZYMV 20
Thrips
Vegetables
● Cucurbits
● Solanaceous
● Brassicas
● Allium

Adult Larvae Parts of the plant affected

Leaves, fruits

Onion Management and Control Method:

● Regular monitoring
● Plow and harrow before crop
● Use plastic mulch
Watermelon TSWV WSMoV
● Weed 21
● Spray neem extract early
morning
● Spray insecticides such as
Leafhopper
Vegetables
● Eggplant
● Legumes
● Okra
● Cucurbits

Parts of the plant affected

Leaves, fruits

Management and Control Method:

● Regular monitoring
● Use plastic mulch
● Weed
Hopper burn on eggplant
leaves ● Remove infected part of plants 22
● Spray insecticides imidacloprid,
lambda-cyhalothrin,
dinotefuran and thiocyclam
Diamondback moth
Vegetables
Larva ● Crucifers/brassica

Parts of the plant affected

Leaves

Management and Control Method:

● Regular monitoring
● Remove infected plants
Adult Pupae ● Weed
● Biological control - use of natural
enemies such as Cotesia plutellae,
Diadegma semiclausum, and
Trichogramma sp .
● Use of microbial insecticides such as
Bacillus thuringiensis (BT)
● Spray insecticides such as lambda-
cyhalothrin, and chlorantraniliprole
Skeletonized leaves ● Trap crops such as mustard
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Semi looper
Semi loop Vegetables
● Crucifers
● Leafy

Parts of the plant affected

Leaves

Management and Control Method:

● Regular monitoring
Adult Larva ● Remove damaged plants
● Remove caterpillars
Leaf feeding damage on cabbage ● Weed
● Use of microbial insecticides such
as Bacillus thuringiensis (BT)
● Spray insecticides such as lambda-
cyhalothrin, and chlorantraniliprole
● Light traps & pheromone

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Flea beetle
Vegetables
● Crucifers
● Solanaceous

Parts of the plant affected

Adults Leaves
Larvae
Management and Control
Method:
● Regular monitoring
● Remove infected plants
● Remove larvae
Shot-hole damage on pechay
● Weed
● Use of microbial insecticides 25

such as Bacillus thuringiensis

(BT)
● Spray insecticides such as
Crop management for insect pests control

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Crop management - IPM

Physical control - remove by hand Resistance of plant host - healthy plant

insects/larvae/pupa

Cultural control
● Crop rotation Biological control
● Parasitoid
● Intercropping
● Predators
● Mulch
● Insect pathogens
Mechanical ● Biopesticides
● Pheromones traps
● Sticky trap
● Light trap
● Protective structure
● Fruit bagging
● Soil sterilisation
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Cultural control

• Remove infected parts from field

• Weed control to reduce host plants

• Crop rotation

• Plastic mulch

• Grow seedlings away from main crop and

protect with insect netting

• Avoid working in wet conditions

• At the end of crop cycle remove and

destroy all crop debris to prevent re-
infection

• Chemical control is more effective when

practiced alongside cultural control 28

methods.
Mechanical and physical control
YELLOW STICKY TRAP: Traps for low flying
insect

LIGHT TRAP : it is a device use at night in the

field to collect moths and other flying insects

COLLECTING AND DESTROYING PEST: on

small areas, scout the field and remove pest.

PROTECTIVE STRUCTURES : net, tunnels can be

placed on the crop.

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Pheromone trap

Trap with pheromone for

Fruitfly
Sticky trap

For aphids, whiteflies,

thrips, leaf miners, and
moths

4hydr
o.com
Sticky trap

Can use also for

mass trapping.
Sweet trap

Sweet trap: place molasses/jaggery sugar and vinegar (1:1 ratio) in an open bottle
hanging in the field
Biological control for insect pests
Use of natural enemies to limit insect pest population at acceptable/ tolerable level

NATURAL ENEMIES ( Biocon Agents) Example

1. PARASITOIDS

1.Trichogramma (egg parasitoid)

2. Trathala sp. (larval parasitoid)
3. Diadegma (pupal parasitoid)

2. PREDATORS
1. Lady beetles
2. Spiders
3. Earwigs

3. INSECT PATHOGENS

(Entomopathogen) 1. NPV
2. Beauveria

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Biological control for insect pests

Bacillus PGPR (Plant Metarhizium

Trichoderma
thuringensis (e.g. Growth Promoting anisopliae and
harzianum
Dipel) Rhizobacteria) Beauveria bassiana
Use of biopesticide to control/manage insect pests

EM5 Insect repellant

Botanical Sprays Insect Repellant

Neem Extract Insecticide

Plant Ash Pest control

Natural vinegar + molasses Insect trap

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 Botanical sprays

Plant Name Part(s) used Mode of preparation and application Insect Pest controlled

Turmeric Rhizome Dilute mixture with 2-3 liters of water. Aphids

Add soap. Armyworm
Stir well. Cotton semi-looper
Spray on infested plant parts thoroughly, either early in the morning or Green leafhopper
late in the afternoon Mites
Rice leaf roller
Rice stem borer

Papaya Fruit Dilute the filtrate with 4 liters of water. Spray on the target pests. Flower thrips
Seeds Fruit flies
Unriped fruits
Lemon Grass Leaves Dilute 1 liter of stock solution with 10-12 liters of water. Most agricultural pests
Roots Add soap. Stir well. Spray on infested plants thoroughly.

Onions Bulbs Dilute the 1 liter extract with 10 liters of water. Spray thoroughly on the Ants
infested plant, preferably early in the Scales
morning or late afternoon. Spider mites
Thrips
Garlic Bulbs Add 1 bulb garlic, 1 medium onion, 1 tablespoon chili pepper, 1 liter water. Worms
Steep for 1 hour, add 1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid. Then spray. Sucking insects

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Neem extract

Commercially available neem extract in Myanmar 38

Plant ash

Plant Material Formulation Pest Controlled

Ash - chili powder Sieve ash to remove the big particles. Grind dried chili. Mix 2 kg of ash with 50 g Corn stalk borer
of powdered pepper. Apply a pinch of pepper powder and ash mixture to the
funnel of the plant when pinholes on the corn leaves are found. This formulation
is good enough for a 0.4 ha area.

Rice hull ash or Sprinkle ash around the young plants or surround the whole plot with a shallow Cutworm, snail, slug,
Eucalyptus/cypress wood ash trench (8-10 cm wide) and fill it up with ash. and turnip moth.

Plant ash Lay a thick layer of ash around the plants. This will prevent flies and moths laying Cutworm and fly maggot
their eggs near the stems.

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General Pest Control Recommendations
1. Scout pest presence - either on the growing
points/tips/shoot and on the underside of the leaves;
2. Clean cultivation - no infested plant, fruits, debris in the
field;
3. Avoid high density/ proper planting distance to maintain
proper aeration & light distribution;
4. Planting of trap, repellent & attractant plants along with
the main crops to avoid pest population and attractant
more beneficial insects as well;
5. Make bird’s sitting posts to attract birds’ presence in the
field. > Birds (esp in India) is a general predator
6. Correct insect pest identification to have the right &
timely control application; 40

7. Minimal use of synthetic pesticides instead always adapt

IPM