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AVRDC International
Cooperators'
Fact Sheet |
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Pepper Insect
Pests Cotton Aphid Aphis gossypii Found worldwide |
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Damage symptoms Leaves are distorted, stunted, and often curled under. The upper leaf surface is sticky and has a black moldy growth (sooty mold). The plants have fewer frutis than usual. Some wilting may also be evident. Insect characteristics Piercing-sucking mouthparts. These are small pear-shaped insects with prominent reddish eyes. They vary in color from yellow to green to black. Some have transparent wings. Where to look Select leaves that are beginning to curl under or have signs of black sooty mold on the upper surface. Turn them over and look for groups of variable-sized insects. You will see adults and young living and feeding together. Technical information The cotton aphid has continual generations and many different hosts. When populations on the host plant are high, winged forms are produced, and they fly to adjacent plants to establish new colonies. Aphid colonies are commonly visited by ants which feed on the honeydew secreted by the aphids. This honeydew also serves as the food on which the sooty mold grows. The cotton aphid is a virus vector and has a wide host range including many vegetable crops. Control To be added later. |
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Last updated: 2001. Information from: Field Guide: Insect Pests of Selected Vegetables in Tropical and Subtropical Asia. 1995. B.L. Parker, N.S. Talekar and M. Skinner. Publication 94-427. Pest control recommendations added. |
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