identification – Gramophone

Identification of Red Pumpkin Beetle in Bitter Gourd

The grubs feed on the roots and underground portion of host plants and fruits touching the soil.
The damaged roots and infested underground, a portion of stems start rotting due to secondary infection by saprophytic 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.

Adults are small black and yellow flies.
Larvae exit from the leaf upon completion of their development and pupate in the soil or in the leaf axils on plants.
Females puncture the leaf to feed plant sap and lays eggs within the leaf tissue.
The damage restricts the plant growth, results in reduce bulb yield and loss of vigor.
Tunnels or mines can be seen in the leaves.