Mamestra brassicae Cabbage moth General The cabbage moth (Mamestra brassicae) is a highly polyphagous defoliator. Besides being a major cabbage pest, it feeds on 70 plants of 22 families, among them c
before maturing into the adult form. The poultry red mite can live between 5–17 days, depending on the temperature. Higher temperatures shorten the mite’s
hard to find in the soil, as this stage lasts only a few days. The adults, 5-6 mm long, are dark yellow in colour and there are three black stripes on the
distinctive white stripe on the abdomen. They are small in size, around 2.5 mm, and they live between 20 and 60 days. Damage symptoms The main direct damage
Hemiptera Bugs What are bugs? Heteropteran bugs form a group in the order Hemiptera , a highly diverse group of insects, containing both harmful and beneficial species. Heteropteran bugs are insects w
Diptera Flies What are flies? There are several flies that are pests in agriculture, horticulture and mushroom cultivation. Species that can cause damage or nuisance, are particularly small flies of t
Coleoptera Beetles What are beetles? Beetles belong to the order Coleoptera, a well-known group of insects that are easily recognizable on account of their hard wing covers (elytra). With more than 35
Diptera Leaf miners What are leaf miners? Leaf miners belong to the order Diptera (the true flies ) and form the family Agromyzidae. This is a family of small flies whose larvae tunnel into the leaves
Lepidoptera Caterpillars What are caterpillars? Caterpillars are the larvae of butterflies and moths. Butterflies and moths form the order Lepidoptera, a very large group with more than 150,000 specie
Hemiptera Mealybugs and scales What are mealybugs & scales? Mealybugs (family Pseudococcidae), soft scales (family Coccidae) and armoured scales (family Diaspididae) form three important families with