• Impatiens thrips

  cause damage to plants by piercing the cells of the surface tissues and sucking out their contents, causing the surrounding tissue to die. The resulting [...] cultivation, having spread to many countries within the last 30 years. The thrips have mostly been able to spread as a consequence of the trade in foliage plants [...] brown to black in colour with orange pigmentation between the segments, and the dark wings are white at the base. This colouration distinguishes the species

• Western flower thrips

  cause damage to plants by piercing the cells of the surface tissues and sucking out their contents, causing the surrounding tissue to die. The resulting [...] silver-grey patches on leaves and the black dots of their excreta indicate their presence in the crop. The vigour of the plant is reduced by loss of chlorophyll [...] other sheltered places. The prepupal and pupal instars can be recognized by their developing wing buds. Compared to the prepupa, the pupa has longer, more

• Red palm weevil

  specific morphology of the palms, direct or indirect destruction of the apical bud will lead to the death of the plant, which makes the red palm weevil ( [...] larvae migrate to the periphery of the palms to build a solid elongated cocoon made of rolled-up palm fibres. After the cocoon is formed the larva enters [...] spread to Africa and Europe with distribution through the Mediterranean since the 1980s. Damage symptoms It is very difficult to recognize the first signs

• American serpentine leaf miner

  falls to the ground. This occurs in the early morning. The larva crawls into the ground to pupate. A small percentage of the larvae remain hanging on the [...] hard to distinguish from feeding spots. The larvae of Liriomyza trifolii are entirely ochre-yellow. When the larva hatches from the egg, it begins to eat [...] . Today the insect is widespread across the whole world. Damage symptoms Leaf miners cause damage to plants both directly and indirectly. The most direct

• Sweet pepper

  About The sweet pepper, also referred to as bell pepper or just pepper, is part of a specific group of cultivars that belongs to the species Capsicum annuum [...] These different cultivars of the sweet pepper plant bear fruit in different colours ranging from vanilla/white and yellow to orange, green and red and even [...] even dark purple and brown. The sweet pepper is a very rich source of vitamin C and antioxidants. The level of carotene is even nine times higher in red

• Tomato russet mite

  appears to be divided into two parts: the head with the mouthparts, and the rest of the body. All mobile stages have only two pairs of legs, whereas other mite [...] Other members of the plant family Solanaceae may be affected to a lesser extent. Damage symptoms Damage is caused by the mites sucking out the contents of plant [...] and affected leaves dry out quickly. The damage is first seen on the lower part of the plant and moves upwards as the mites ascend. Life cycle and appearance

• Greenhouse whitefly

  influence the development of fruit and lead to a reduction in yield. The honeydew deposited on fruit makes it sticky. Dirt adheres to the fruit, and the growth [...] have an oval shape. The first instar larvae (crawlers) are mobile, whereas the rest of the larvae stadia remain flattened on the leaf. The fourth larva stadium [...] This is called the pupa stadium and these pupae are found on the oldest leaves. The adult emerges from the pupa via a T-shaped fissure. The adult whiteflies

• Potato aphid

  from the plant and disturb the balance of growth hormones. As a result, the plant’s growth is retarded giving rise to deformed leaves or, if the infestation [...] therefore need to extract large quantities of sap to get sufficient protein. The excess sugar is secreted in the form of honeydew, making the crop and its [...] asexual, the young aphids are born as developed nymphs. They immediately start to feed on plant sap and grow rapidly. When reproduction is sexual, the aphids

• Broad mite

  lay their eggs mainly on the underside of the leaf or on the fruit surface. The elongated, oval eggs are firmly attached to the surface and are rather large [...] Damage symptoms The damage caused by the broad mite ( Polyphagotarsonemus latus ) can look similar to the damage caused by viruses. The typical pattern [...] growth. Leaf feeding is mainly concentrated on the underside near the leaf stalk, which tends to cause the leaf to turn brown and curl up. A typical indication

• Citrus mealybug

  distance over the plant. The male nymph attaches itself to the plant, whereas the females remain mobile throughout their entire development. After the second [...] growing on this honeydew. Additionally, the white, waxy secretion of the mealybugs, reduces the ornamental value of the affected plants. Fruit and flowers are [...] so that the light yellow to pink body is visible through its waxy covering. There is often a darker longitudinal stripe running over the body. The adult