Red Pumpkin Beetle-
Identification-
- Eggs are spherical in shape and yellowish pink in colour, changes in to orange after a couple of day.
- Freshly hatched grubs are dirty white in colour where as fall grown ones are creamy yellow and about 22mm long.
- Pupae are pale white and are found in earthen cells 15 to 25mm deep in the soil.
- Adult beetles are 6-10mm long and having glistering red to yellowish brown elytra that are infirmly covered with fine punctures.
Damage-
- The grubs feed on the roots and underground portion of host plants and fruits touching the soil.
- The damaged roots and infested underground, portion of stems start rotting due to secondary infection by saproliytic fungi, and the unripe fruits of such vines dry up.
- Infested fruits become unfit for human consumption.
- Adult beetles feed voraciously on leaf lamina making irregular holes.
- They prefer young seedling and tender leaves and damage may even kill the seedlings.
Control-
- As insect pupate in the soil, deep ploughing soon after the crop exposes and kill grubs and pupae.
- Apply Cartap hydrochloride 3 G granule 3-4cm deep in soil near base of germinated seedlings.
- Spray the crop with Cypermethrin 25% EC (1 ml/lit) +Dimethoat 30% EC (2 Ml/litre ) or Carbaryl 50% WP (3 gm/Litre) of water at fortnight intervals starting from 25 days after transplanting to control the pest.
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