• Tomato leaf miner

  General The tomato leaf miner (Liriomyza bryoniae) has many host plants and has caused crop damage in many parts of the world, including North Africa, Europe and northern Asia. In warmer regions, the insect is found outdoors but in temperate regions it only occurs in greenhouses. The tomato leaf miner has been found in greenhouses for decades, but has become a common pest since the 1960’s, particularly in sweet pepper , lettuce , melon , chrysanthemum

• Vine mealybug

  General The vine mealybug Planococcus ficus belongs to the family Pseudococcidae, and is also known by the names Mediterranean vine mealybug and Grapevine mealybug. As the name indicates, this mealybug is mostly found on grapevines, but also on figs and pomegranates. Damage symptoms Mealybugs inflict damage on the crop in various ways: Nymphs and females extract the sap from the plant, stunting growth and causing deformation and / or yellowing of

• Cabbage looper

  General Trichoplusia is not only a damaging pest in crucifers, their favourite host, it can also be found in crops such as tomato, pepper, some cucurbits, soybean, sesame and cotton. One of the reasons why this plague can be serious is that the moth is able to disperse widely, reaching distances of up to 200 km. Damage symptoms The caterpillars feed mainly on the leaves causing irregular holes. The first three instars make small holes, while the

• Tobacco budworm

  Overview The tobacco budworm is a pest which affects field crops such as alfalfa, cotton, tobacco, soya, and others; however, it can also attack cucurbits, peppers, and tomatoes, especially when its favoured crops are in abundance. It is also a problem for some ornamental crops such as geraniums, birds of paradise, chrysanthemums, gardenias, petunias, and others. Although the use of sex pheromones is helpful for attracting moths, it is not a pest

• Banana moth

  General The banana moth or banana borer ( Opogona sacchari , also known as Opogona subcervinella ) belongs to the family of Tineidae . Outside of tropical zones, the banana moth ( Opogona sacchari ) can only establish in greenhouses. The insect has been repeatedly encountered in different European countries, but was eradicated in some. The species is polyphagous and feeds on plants of 22 families. It is an important pest in banana and can also attack

• South American palm borer

  General The South American palm borer ( Paysandisia archon ) belongs to the family of Castniidae . It is a neotropical species native to north-western Argentina, Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul), Paraguay (Paraguayan Chaco) and western Uruguay . It was accidentally introduced to Europe from Argentina, as larvae hidden in imported palm trees. In Europe, the South American palm borer (Paysandisia archon) is an invasive species where it causes serious damage

• Southern European marshland pyralid

  General The southern European marshland pyralid or European pepper moth (Duponchelia fovealis) is a polyphagous species feeding on a wide range of hosts from 38 plant families. They include ornamental crop plants, such as roses and gerbera, aquatic plants, vegetable crops such as celery, pepper and lettuce, and weeds. The secretive habit of the caterpillars of this species makes them very difficult to control with synthetic pesticides. Damage

• Cotton bollworm

  General The cotton bollworm ( Helicoverpa armigera ) occurs in the tropics and sub-tropics of all continents except for North America. Larvae of the cotton bollworm ( Helicoverpa armigera ) are highly polyphagous, feeding on crops such as cotton, sorghum, tomato, sweet corn, beans, soybeans, tobacco, sunflowers and various fruit crops. Among greenhouse crops, tomato is particularly affected. Damage symptoms First instar larvae feed on soft leaves

• Fall Armyworm

  General The fall armyworm is a polyphagous pest that is indigenous throughout the Americas. Recently, it has been found in Africa too. The caterpillars of fall armyworms feed on the leaves, stems and reproductive parts of more than 100 plant species causing major damage to cultivated grasses, such as maize, rice, sorghum and sugarcane, as well as other crops, including cabbage, beet, peanut, soybean, alfalfa, onion, cotton, pasture grasses, millet

• Beet armyworm

  General The beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua) has become a regular problem for horticulturalists due to its resistance to nearly all insecticides, and its ability to develop on wild vegetation during the summer. It is highly polyphagous, feeding on plants of more than 20 families. It is a serious pest in greenhouses, where it feeds on ornamental plants such as chrysanthemum, gerbera, roses and potted plants. In both the greenhouse and the field, it