Loose smut of barley

and the infected seeds are the primary source of inoculum in the next crop. The fungus survives inside the seed and when the seed germinates, the mycelium [...] mycelium of the fungus grows upwards inside the plant into the growing tip and the seed primordia. It only becomes visible after head emergence. The teliospores [...] They germinate within a day and infect the inner tissues of the newly infected seed. During maturation of the seed, the mycelium becomes thick-walled and swollen

Southern European marshland pyralid

darker as the adult gets closer to emergence, and measures 9 to 12 mm. Damage symptoms The caterpillars often stay in the lower strata of the crop, sometimes [...] groups of 5 to 10 eggs, overlapping in a tile-like fashion on both the upper and lower surface of leaves close to the veins, or low on the stem or stalk [...] later, the young larva is visible within the egg. The full-grown caterpillars are 20 to 30 mm long and have a creamy white colour. Along the dorsal surface

Circular scale

under the scale and the crawlers walk about to find a suitable feeding site before settling to a sessile lifestyle. The second-instar nymphs are the main [...] it tends to prefer the lower and central parts of mature trees. Circular scale prefers the leaves, but in high infestations it may spread to fruits, stems [...] Chrysomphalus aonidum Circular scale General The circular scale, Chrysomphalus aonidum is a tropical species, native to the Oriental region but it has been dispersed

Sciarid flies

General Sciarid flies constitute the family of Sciaridae. The species that cause most damage to crops belong to the genera Bradysia and Lycoriella . Lycoriella [...] flies The life cycle of sciarid flies has the following stages: egg, four larval instars, a pupal instar, and the adult. The adult insects are 1 to 5 mm [...] They occur the whole year round. The eggs are minute (0.1 to 0.25 mm) and yellowish white in colour. They are laid on the ground surface close to plant roots

Leaf miners

lost before the harvest is affected. The size of a leaf tunnel depends on the stage of development of the leaf, the species of host plant and the species of [...] miners belong to the order Diptera (the true flies ) and form the family Agromyzidae. This is a family of small flies whose larvae tunnel into the leaves of [...] enemies, allowing the leaf miner population to erupt into serious numbers. In addition, the pesticides used to control leaf miners disrupt the biological control

Boisduval scale

near the centre of the scale called the exuvium. Adult females can produce up to 200 eggs and live up to seven months. Eggs hatch within five to seven [...] under the scale and become crawlers. The crawlers move out to look for a suitable place to feed and become sessile usually after a few hours The development [...] prefer the leaf midrib and the portion of the petiole that is covered by the sheath. Small infestations on orchids cause extensive discolouration. Life cycle

Limonica Ulti-Mite

in the crop, not exposed to direct sunlight Sachets already have an exit hole Hold sachets by the cardboard strip at the top, to avoid damaging the predatory [...] predatory mites Dosage The dosage of Limonica Ulti-Mite depends on climate, crop and pest density and should always be adjusted to the particular situation [...] ly or as soon as the first pest mites are detected in the crop. Use at least 3,000 sachets per ha and hang them evenly spaced in the crop. Release should

Cottony cushion scale

period of 2 to 3 months. After leaving the egg sac, the crawlers settle along the midribs and veins of the leaves. The next two instars migrate to the larger [...] running lengthwise over the surface. The ovisac may reach the same length as the body, giving an overall combined length of up to 20 mm. The 'females' are actually [...] depletion; the shoots dry up and die, and defoliation occurs. In addition, the copious quantities of honeydew produced by the scales coat the leaves, blocking

Chafers

colour. The adult beetles fly in the evening, generally in June and July and land on trees to mate. During the night the females move to the ground to lay [...] General The chafers are beetles of the Scarabaeidae family. The larvae of both species live in the soil and feed on the roots of many plants. They are [...] their eggs. Eggs are shiny and white. The eggs hatch after about four weeks and the larvae start to feed on roots. The larvae are white-coloured, C-shaped

Aphids

throughout the world. Aphids form a single, very large group of insects: the super- family Aphidoidea, belonging to the order Hemiptera . The aphids discussed [...] cause damage to plants in several ways, and the damage can vary depending on the species of aphid and the type of plant being attacked. The following are [...] Aphids feed on the sap of plants, which can cause the leaves to turn yellow or become distorted. The damage is often more pronounced on the younger leaves