• Lesser house fly

  General The genus Fannia comprises almost 300 different species of fly, including the lesser house fly , the latrine fly and a whole host of other manure-breeding flies . Fannia species can be found worldwide, from the arctic to the temperate neotropics, and they typically reproduce in feces, compost and carrion. These flies are often a serious concern for commercial animal farming operations, since high-density housing systems and abundant

• House fly

  General Houseflies are a well-known pest of farm and home. Believed to have originated in central Asia, the insect expanded its range worldwide long ago as a commensal organism to human populations; the housefly is always found in association with human activity. As the most common species of fly found on livestock farms, they represent both a nuisance and a risk for disease transmission. High-density housing systems and abundant manure production

• American serpentine leaf miner

  General The American serpentine leaf miner ( Liriomyza trifolii ) originates from North America, but occurs also in Europe since about 1976. The American serpentine leaf miner ( Liriomyza trifolii ) is highly polyphagous and thus lives on many host plants such as chrysanthemum, gerbera, gypsophila, celery, sweet pepper, pea, bean and potato. In greenhouses, it is mainly found on gerbera and chrysanthemum. Today the insect is widespread across the whole

• Spodoptera cosmioides

  General ( Spodoptera cosmioides ) is one of the main insect pests in tropical South American regions. It is a polyphagous species, which attacks soybean, aubergine, pepper and cotton, amongst others. Symptoms and damage The caterpillars cause loss of leaves, perforation in flower buds and fruits, and damage to pods and grains, leading to reduced productivity. Appearance and life cycle of Spodoptera cosmioides The eggs are a light greenish colour,

• Sugarcane stalk borer

  General This is a significant pest of cereals and grasses in South and Central America, and in the Southern part of the US. It is considered one of the main pests for sugar cane. It has economic significance in rice crops, sugar cane, corn, pasture, sorghum and wheat. Symptoms and damage The caterpillars form tunnels inside the stem, causing failure to grow and loss of weight. When these tunnels are big and circular, they can cause the crop to break.

• Tomato fruit borer

  General This pest is found in Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, Grenada, Guatemala, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Its host plants are the Solanum species, which includes tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), aubergine (Solanum melongena), gilo (Solanum aethiopicum), and sweet pepper, among others. Damage and symptoms The attack begins

• Crane flies

  General The larvae of crane flies , called leatherjackets, live in the soil and feed on roots and shoots (which they pull into the ground of mainly grasses and cereal crops. The adults do not cause any damage. Damage symptoms Larval feeding causes brown spots in grasslands, turf and cereal fields. Exit holes of the burrows of the larvae might also be visible. Secondary damage may come from birds and rodents feeding on larvae and digging up turf

• Peach twig borer

  General The peach twig borer, Anarsia lineatella, is a pest of peach and also attacks apricots and almonds. It occurs in Europe, North Africa, North America, and Asia. Damage symptoms The tips of attacked shoots wither and die but this is generally only a problem in nurseries and young orchards. Infested fruits develop large necrotic areas and become distorted. Attacked apricots exude large quantities of gum. Attacks on fruits can cause significant

• Boisduval scale

  General These three species of Diaspi s are very similar in their appearance and damage symptoms. Here, the Boisduval scale is described in more detail, as it is the most important one. The Boisduval scale, Diaspis boisduvalii , occurs throughout the tropics, and in greenhouses in more temperate climates. It is very polyphagous and can be a pest of orchids, palms, pineapples, bananas and many other plants. Damage symptoms The first sign of Boisduval

• 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 species are mainly found in commercial mushroom cultivation where they can cause enormous damage. Sciarid flies are usually found in damp, humid environments, and appear very commonly in greenhouses throughout the world. Although they generally do little harm to healthy plants, sciarid