Knowledge base
Pests
Insect and arthropod pests of crops — biology, life cycles, damage, affected hosts, monitoring, and integrated management principles.
65 entries · every entry is sourced and dated
These entries emphasise integrated pest management. They do not provide chemical treatment instructions; any control must follow locally authorized guidance and product labels.
- Insect pest
Aphids
Family Aphididae (order Hemiptera)
Aphids are small sap-feeding insects that attack many crops. They damage plants directly by feeding and indirectly as vectors of plant viruses, and management centres on monitoring and natural enemies.
- Insect pest
Armyworms
Larvae of Spodoptera and Mythimna species (order Lepidoptera, family Noctuidae), distinct from the related fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda)
Armyworms are caterpillars, chiefly Spodoptera and Mythimna species, named for their habit of moving en masse across fields when local food is exhausted, causing rapid, severe defoliation in maize, rice, and sorghum.
- Insect pest
Boll Weevil
Anthonomus grandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
Boll weevil is a snout beetle whose adults and larvae attack cotton squares and bolls, historically causing enormous losses and prompting one of the largest coordinated eradication programmes in agriculture.
- Insect pest
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
Brown marmorated stink bug is an invasive shield bug from East Asia with a very wide host range that feeds on fruit, pods, and seeds, and is also a nuisance when adults aggregate in buildings to overwinter.
- Insect pest
Brown Planthopper
Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)
Brown planthopper is a sap-feeding insect of rice that lives at the base of the plant, can cause plants to dry and collapse in patches ("hopperburn"), and transmits damaging rice viruses.
- Insect pest
Cabbage Looper
Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Cabbage looper is a moth whose green, looping caterpillars chew large holes in the leaves of brassicas, lettuce, and many other crops, and contaminate produce with their bodies and frass.
- Insect pest
Cereal Leaf Beetle
Oulema melanopus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Cereal leaf beetle is a small beetle whose adults and larvae strip the surface tissue between leaf veins on wheat, barley, oats, and other cereals, producing pale longitudinal streaks and, when heavy, whitened leaves.
- Insect pest
Codling Moth
Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Codling moth larvae bore into apple fruit, feeding on the flesh and seeds, and are among the most economically important and best-studied pests of apple production worldwide.
- Insect pest
Coffee Berry Borer
Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)
Coffee berry borer is a tiny beetle whose females bore into coffee berries and breed inside the seeds (beans), making it the most damaging insect pest of coffee worldwide.
- Insect pest
Colorado Potato Beetle
Leptinotarsa decemlineata
The Colorado potato beetle is a defoliating beetle that can strip potato and other solanaceous crops of foliage. It is notorious for developing resistance to insecticides, making integrated management especially important.
- Insect pest
Cotton Bollworm
Helicoverpa armigera (order Lepidoptera, family Noctuidae)
Cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) is a highly polyphagous caterpillar that bores into cotton bolls and the fruiting structures of many other crops, causing direct fruit and seed loss and posing a well-documented risk of insecticide resistance.
- Insect pest
Cutworms
Larvae of moths in family Noctuidae, e.g. Agrotis spp. (Lepidoptera)
Cutworms are night-active caterpillars that shelter in soil or debris by day and sever young seedlings at or near the soil line, posing a classic early-season risk to newly established crops.
- Insect pest
Desert Locust
Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae)
Desert locust is a large grasshopper capable of shifting from solitary to swarming behaviour, and under favourable breeding conditions can form vast, highly mobile swarms that devastate crops and pasture across large areas.
- Insect pest
Diamondback Moth
Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)
Diamondback moth is a small moth whose caterpillars feed on brassica crops worldwide and is one of the most notorious insects for developing resistance to insecticides.
- Insect pest
European Corn Borer
Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
European corn borer larvae tunnel into the stalks, ear shanks, and tassels of maize, weakening plants and reducing yield, and are among the most closely studied pests for degree-day-based monitoring.
- Insect pest
Fall Armyworm
Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Fall armyworm is a highly mobile moth whose caterpillars feed in the whorl and ear of maize and other cereals, and which has spread to become a major pest across much of the world.
- Insect pest
Flea Beetles
Subfamily Alticinae, family Chrysomelidae (order Coleoptera)
Flea beetles are small, jumping leaf beetles whose adults create characteristic "shot-hole" feeding damage, posing the greatest risk to young seedlings of cabbage, broccoli, radish, and eggplant.
- Insect pest
Fruit Flies
Family Tephritidae (order Diptera), including Bactrocera, Ceratitis, and related genera
Fruit flies (family Tephritidae) are flies whose larvae develop inside ripening fruit, causing internal damage, rot, and premature drop in mango, orange, cucumber, and olive, and are subject to strict quarantine controls in many regions.
- Insect pest
Granary Weevil
Sitophilus granarius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
The granary weevil is a flightless primary pest of stored cereals in temperate regions. Its larvae develop hidden inside whole kernels, and because it cannot fly it spreads almost entirely through the movement of infested grain.
- Insect pest
Grasshoppers
Suborder Caelifera, family Acrididae (order Orthoptera)
Grasshoppers are chewing insects that feed on foliage and can build to damaging densities on wheat, maize, and sorghum during warm, dry periods, occasionally reaching outbreak levels distinct from, but related to, locust behaviour.
- Insect pest
Hessian Fly
Mayetiola destructor (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)
Hessian fly is a small gall midge whose larvae feed at the base of wheat and other small grains, weakening and stunting plants and causing stems to lodge; it is managed largely through resistant varieties and planting timing.
- Insect pest
Indianmeal Moth
Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
The Indianmeal moth is the most common stored-product moth. Its larvae feed at the surface of the grain and spin silk webbing that binds kernels together, and the adult forewing is distinctively two-toned.
- Insect pest
Japanese Beetle
Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
Japanese beetle is a scarab beetle whose adults skeletonize the foliage, flowers, and fruit of many plants while its soil-dwelling grubs feed on roots, especially of grasses and turf.
- Insect pest
Khapra Beetle
Trogoderma granarium (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)
The khapra beetle is regarded as one of the most serious stored-product pests worldwide and is a regulated quarantine pest in many jurisdictions. Its larvae tolerate dry conditions and can persist in crevices for long periods without food.
- Insect pest
Leaf Miners
Various species, notably Liriomyza spp. (Diptera: Agromyzidae); also Lepidoptera and other larvae
Leaf miners are larvae from several unrelated insect groups that tunnel within leaf tissue, producing distinctive winding mines, and are common pests of vegetable crops, especially under protected cultivation.
- Insect pest
Leaf Rollers
Family Tortricidae (order Lepidoptera)
Leaf rollers are tortricid moth caterpillars that shelter and feed inside leaves rolled or webbed together with silk, damaging foliage and, in some species, fruit of apple, grape, and pear.
- Insect pest
Leafhoppers
Family Cicadellidae (order Hemiptera)
Leafhoppers are small, wedge-shaped sap-feeding insects that attack a wide range of crops. Beyond direct feeding injury, many species transmit plant pathogens, making them important vectors in several major cropping systems.
- Insect pest
Lesser Grain Borer
Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)
The lesser grain borer is among the most destructive primary pests of stored cereals. Unusually, both adults and larvae bore into and consume sound whole grain, and the adults produce large amounts of characteristic dust.
- Insect pest
Maize Weevil
Sitophilus zeamais (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
The maize weevil is a primary stored-grain pest that develops inside whole kernels. It flies strongly and can begin infesting maize in the field before harvest, so grain may arrive at the store already infested.
- Insect pest
Mealybugs
Family Pseudococcidae (order Hemiptera)
Mealybugs are soft-bodied, wax-covered sap-feeding insects that weaken plants through direct feeding and honeydew-related sooty mould, and act as virus vectors on grape, cassava, coffee, and cocoa.
- Insect pest
Mediterranean Fruit Fly
Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae)
Mediterranean fruit fly is a highly damaging tephritid fruit fly with a very wide host range; females lay eggs in ripening fruit, and the maggots feed inside, making it a major quarantine pest of horticulture.
- Insect pest
Mole Crickets
Family Gryllotalpidae (order Orthoptera)
Mole crickets are soil-dwelling insects with specialised digging front legs that tunnel through soil, severing roots and dislodging seedlings in maize, groundnut, and other crops, with damage often first visible as raised surface tunnels.
- Insect pest
Oriental Fruit Fly
Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae)
Oriental fruit fly is a highly invasive tephritid with a very broad host range; females lay eggs in ripening fruit and the maggots feed inside, making it a serious quarantine pest of tropical and subtropical fruit.
- Insect pest
Pink Bollworm
Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
Pink bollworm is a moth whose caterpillars bore into cotton bolls and feed on seeds and lint, reducing yield and fibre quality; it is a classic target of area-wide and sterile-insect programmes.
- Insect pest
Pod Borer
Helicoverpa armigera and Maruca vitrata (order Lepidoptera, families Noctuidae and Crambidae)
Pod borer is a general term for caterpillars, chiefly Helicoverpa armigera and Maruca vitrata, that feed on the flowers and pods of legumes, boring into pods to consume developing seeds in chickpea, common bean, and pea.
- Nematode pest
Potato Cyst Nematode
Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pallida (phylum Nematoda)
Potato cyst nematode refers to two microscopic soil roundworms that invade potato roots and form long-lived cysts; they cause patchy poor growth, are strictly regulated quarantine pests, and persist in soil for many years.
- Insect pest
Potato Tuber Moth
Phthorimaea operculella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
Potato tuber moth is a small moth whose larvae mine potato leaves and, most damagingly, tunnel into tubers both in the field and in storage, making it a major pest of potato in warm regions.
- Insect pest
Psyllids
Family Psyllidae (order Hemiptera)
Psyllids, or jumping plant lice, are small sap-feeding insects that damage citrus, pome fruit, and vegetable crops both directly and as vectors of serious plant pathogens.
- Insect pest
Red Flour Beetle
Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)
The red flour beetle is a secondary stored-product pest: it cannot attack sound whole kernels and instead exploits broken grain, flour, and dust. Its presence therefore usually signals that damage has already occurred.
- Insect pest
Rice Weevil
Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
The rice weevil is a primary stored-grain pest whose larvae develop hidden inside sound, whole kernels. Because the immature stages are concealed, an infested lot can look clean until adults emerge.
- Insect pest
Root Aphids
Various genera, family Aphididae (order Hemiptera)
Root aphids are aphid species that feed below ground on plant roots rather than foliage, weakening crops such as lettuce, maize, and sorghum and often going unnoticed until wilting or stunting becomes visible above ground.
- Nematode pest
Root-Knot Nematode
Meloidogyne spp. (phylum Nematoda)
Root-knot nematodes are microscopic soil-dwelling roundworms, not insects, that invade plant roots and induce characteristic galls, impairing water and nutrient uptake across an unusually broad range of crops.
- Insect pest
Russian Wheat Aphid
Diuraphis noxia (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Russian wheat aphid is a small aphid of small-grain cereals whose feeding injects toxins that cause distinctive leaf streaking and rolling, trapping the developing head and reducing yield.
- Insect pest
Sawflies
Suborder Symphyta (order Hymenoptera)
Sawflies are hymenopteran insects whose caterpillar-like larvae feed on foliage or fruit of tree and field crops, including apple, pear, and oilseed rape, causing direct feeding damage rather than acting as disease vectors.
- Insect pest
Sawtoothed Grain Beetle
Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Coleoptera: Silvanidae)
The sawtoothed grain beetle is a secondary stored-product pest that feeds on broken grain, fines, and processed foods rather than sound whole kernels. Its flat body lets it penetrate packaging and reach residues in crevices.
- Insect pest
Scale Insects
Superfamily Coccoidea (order Hemiptera)
Scale insects are sap-feeding insects that spend most of their life immobile beneath a protective waxy or armoured covering, weakening orange, olive, tea, and mango through feeding, honeydew, and occasionally virus transmission.
- Mollusc pest
Slugs
Various species, phylum Mollusca, class Gastropoda
Slugs are soft-bodied, shell-less molluscs, not insects, that graze on seedlings and low-growing leafy and fruit crops, and are most active and damaging under cool, moist conditions.
- Mollusc pest
Snails
Various species, phylum Mollusca, class Gastropoda
Snails are shelled, soft-bodied molluscs that graze on seedlings and leafy crops, thriving in cool, moist conditions much like their close relatives, slugs, and posing similar challenges for growers of vegetables and soft fruit.
- Insect pest
Soybean Aphid
Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Soybean aphid is a small aphid that colonizes soybean, feeding on sap and excreting honeydew; large colonies can reduce yield, and the aphid can also transmit plant viruses.
- Nematode pest
Soybean Cyst Nematode
Heterodera glycines (phylum Nematoda)
Soybean cyst nematode is a microscopic soil roundworm that invades soybean roots and forms persistent egg-filled cysts; it is one of the most damaging pests of soybean and often causes yield loss with few obvious above-ground symptoms.
- Mite pest
Spider Mites
Tetranychus urticae and related species (Acari: Tetranychidae)
Spider mites are tiny sap-feeding arachnids, not insects, that thrive in hot, dry conditions and can cause serious stippling and leaf bronzing on many crops.
- Insect pest
Spotted Lanternfly
Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae)
Spotted lanternfly is an invasive planthopper from Asia that feeds on sap from many woody plants, excretes copious honeydew that fosters sooty mould, and is a particular concern in grape and tree-fruit systems.
- Insect pest
Spotted Wing Drosophila
Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae)
Spotted wing drosophila is a vinegar fly that, unlike its relatives, attacks sound ripening fruit; females use a saw-like ovipositor to lay eggs in intact soft fruit, and the maggots feed inside.
- Insect pest
Stem Borers
Larvae of several moth and beetle genera, including Chilo, Sesamia, Busseola, and Scirpophaga (order Lepidoptera), with some Coleoptera species also causing similar damage
Stem borers are the larvae of various moths and some beetles that tunnel inside the stems of cereals and sugarcane, causing dead central shoots, weakened stems, and yield loss across maize, rice, sorghum, and sugarcane.
- Insect pest
Stink Bugs
Family Pentatomidae (order Hemiptera)
Stink bugs are shield-shaped, sap-feeding insects that release a distinctive odour when disturbed, damaging developing seeds and fruit in soybean, rice, and tomato through piercing-sucking feeding.
- Insect pest
Sweetpotato Weevil
Cylas formicarius (Coleoptera: Brentidae)
Sweetpotato weevil is a slender, ant-like weevil whose larvae tunnel through sweet potato vines and storage roots; feeding triggers bitter compounds that render even lightly damaged roots unpalatable, making it the crop’s most serious pest.
- Insect pest
Thrips
Order Thysanoptera
Thrips are minute, slender insects that feed by piercing and rasping plant tissue. Several species also transmit damaging plant viruses, making monitoring and integrated management central to controlling their impact.
- Insect pest
Tomato Leafminer
Phthorimaea absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
Tomato leafminer is a small moth whose larvae mine the leaves, stems, and fruit of tomato; it has spread rapidly across many regions and can cause severe losses in tomato crops.
- Mite pest
Two-Spotted Spider Mite
Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae)
Two-spotted spider mite is a tiny web-spinning mite, not an insect, that feeds on the underside of leaves across a very wide host range; it thrives in hot, dry conditions and can build damaging populations rapidly.
- Insect pest
Weevils
Family Curculionidae (order Coleoptera)
Weevils are beetles with an elongated snout used for feeding and egg-laying, and the family includes species that damage sweet potato and cotton in the field and infest stored rice and other grain.
- Insect pest
Western Corn Rootworm
Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Western corn rootworm is a beetle whose larvae feed on maize roots, causing lodging and yield loss, while adults feed on silks and leaves; it is notorious for adapting to control tactics such as crop rotation.
- Insect pest
White Grubs
Larvae of scarab beetles, family Scarabaeidae (order Coleoptera), including Phyllophaga, Holotrichia, and Popillia species
White grubs are the soil-dwelling larvae of scarab beetles that feed on roots and underground plant parts, causing patchy wilting and stand loss in cereals, tubers, and sugarcane over a one- to three-year life cycle.
- Insect pest
Whiteflies
Family Aleyrodidae (order Hemiptera)
Whiteflies are small, moth-like sap-feeding insects found on the undersides of leaves. They weaken plants through feeding and honeydew production, and several species are important vectors of plant viruses.
- Insect pest
Wireworms
Larvae of click beetles, family Elateridae (Coleoptera)
Wireworms are the soil-dwelling larvae of click beetles, feeding on seeds, roots, and tubers for several years before pupating, and are often worse in fields recently converted from grassland.
- Insect pest
Yellow Stem Borer
Scirpophaga incertulas (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
Yellow stem borer is a moth whose caterpillars tunnel inside rice stems, killing central shoots ("deadhearts") in young crops and causing empty, whitened panicles ("whiteheads") in older crops.