| Eurygaster integriceps | |
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| Eurygaster integriceps | |
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| Species: | E. integriceps |
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| Eurygaster integriceps Puton, 1881 | |
Eurygaster integriceps is a species of shield bug in the family Scutelleridae, commonly known as the sunn pest or corn bug. It is native to much of northern Africa, the Balkans and western and central Asia. It is a major pest of cereal crops especially wheat, barley and oats.
The colour of the sunn pest varies but it is usually light brown. The body is a broad oval about 12 millimetres (0.5 in) long. The scutellum is wide and chitinous and covers the wings and the whole abdomen. The insect lives for about a month during which time the females lay twenty eight to forty two eggs. These are laid in batches each having two neat rows of seven eggs, on the underside of leaves and on the stems of the host plant, or sometimes on weeds. The eggs take six to twenty eight days to hatch and the nymphs moult five times while they feed on the leaves, stems and ears of cereal crops for the next twenty to forty five days. They grow fastest at an air temperature of 20–24 °C (68–75 °F). The second and third instars have a pale abdomen and dark head and thorax. The fourth instar has the rudiments of fore wings and the fifth instar, the rudiments of hind wings as well. [1]
The sunn pest is found in Northern Africa, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria [1] and Romania. In Asia it occurs in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and the republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. [2] In Russia it has spread into the central and Volga Basin regions, the Northern Caucasus, the Chelyabinsk region and Bashkortostan. [1]
The adults mostly overwinter in leaf litter in woods but some find refuge among rough vegetation. When the temperature reaches about 13 °C (55 °F) they seek out cereal crops, start to feed on the stems, leaves and developing seed heads, mate and lay their eggs. There is only one generation each year so adults and nymphs can be found feeding together on the ripening grain. If the insects are not fully developed when the crop is harvested, some nymphs and young adults feed and mature on fallen grain and other crop residues before flying off to their winter quarters. [1] In Syria, they spend about nine months in hibernation. [3]
Over fifteen million hectares in the affected areas of west and central Asia suffer from infestations with this pest. The number of pests varies enormously from year to year and a significant attack may occur about once in every seven years, potentially causing yield losses worth tens of millions of dollars. The loss in yield of grain has been estimated at 50–90% in wheat and 20–30% in barley. While feeding, the sunn bugs inject proteolytic and amylolytic enzymes into the wheat causing breakdown of the gluten which reduces the quality of the flour resulting in the production of inferior dough. [3] Traditional control methods include the early application of fertilizer on winter crops, the early sowing of spring crops, the selection of varieties resistant to the pest and varieties that ripen early and can be harvested early, autumn ploughing in of crop residues and the spraying of crops with pesticides, [1] which should only be done when pest populations rise to economically damaging levels. [3]
Researchers at the Entomology Research Laboratory at the University of Vermont and agricultural researchers working throughout the infested region have been co-operating since 1997 to produce an integrated management plan for the sunn pest. Various on-going research projects are taking place. [4] Additionally, an international forum, SunnPestNet, has been set up to improve communication between researchers and agriculturalists from all over the world. [3]
Research is being undertaken at the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Greenwich. This project aims to assess the economic thresholds for pest populations, the possible role of egg parasitoids and the possible use of pathogenic fungi to control the pests. Also being investigated is the role of semiochemicals in enabling individual bugs to locate potential mates and suitable host plants, and whether such chemicals could be used as a possible means of control. There is also an initiative to identify resistant strains of cultivated and wild cereals with the objective of developing the germplasm.
A study published in 2008 identified several entomopathogenic nematodes that showed promise as biocontrol agents. [5]
Scutelleridae is a family of true bugs. They are commonly known as jewel bugs or metallic shield bugs due to their often brilliant coloration. They are also known as shield-backed bugs due to the enlargement of the thoracic scutellum into a continuous shield over the abdomen and wings. This latter characteristic distinguishes them from most other families within Heteroptera, and may lead to misidentification as a beetle rather than a bug. These insects feed on plant juices from a variety of different species, including some commercial crops. Closely related to stink bugs, they may also produce an offensive odour when disturbed. There are around 450 species worldwide.
The Hessian fly or barley midge, Mayetiola destructor, is a species of fly that is a significant pest of cereal crops including wheat, barley and rye. Though a native of Asia, upon its discovery it was believed to have been transported into North America in the straw bedding of Hessian troops during the American Revolution (1775–1783), thus the origin of its common name. However, the report of an inquiry made in 1788 by Sir Joseph Banks states that "no such insect could be found to exist in Germany or any other part of Europe". Nonetheless, it appears that this species, or one exactly like it in habits, had been known for at least a century prior to the American revolution from a locality near Geneva, and also for a long time from some regions in France.
The wheat weevil, also known as the grain weevil or granary weevil, is an insect that feeds on cereal grains, and is a common pest in many places. It can cause significant damage to harvested stored grains and may drastically decrease crop yields. The females lay many eggs and the larvae eat the inside of the grain kernels.
Blissus leucopterus, also known as the true chinch bug, is a small North American insect in the order Hemiptera and family Blissidae. It is the most commonly encountered species of the genus Blissus, which are all known as chinch bugs. A closely related species is B. insularis, the southern chinch bug.
A sunn pest is an insect belonging to a group representing several genera of the 'shield bug' (Scutelleridae) and 'stink bug' (Pentatomidae) Families, with the species Eurygaster integriceps being the most economically important. Sunn pests are found in parts of North Africa, throughout West Asia and many of the new independent states of Central Asia.
The African armyworm, also called okalombo, kommandowurm, or nutgrass armyworm, is a species of moth of the family Noctuidae. The larvae often exhibit marching behavior when traveling to feeding sites, leading to the common name "armyworm". The caterpillars exhibit density-dependent polyphenism where larvae raised in isolation are green, while those raised in groups are black. These phases are termed solitaria and gregaria, respectively. Gregaria caterpillars are considered very deleterious pests, capable of destroying entire crops in a matter of weeks. The larvae feed on all types of grasses, early stages of cereal crops, sugarcane, and occasionally on coconut. The solitaria caterpillars are less active and undergo much slower development. The species is commonly found in Africa, but can also be seen in Yemen, some Pacific islands, and parts of Australia. African armyworm outbreaks tend to be devastating for farmland and pasture in these areas, with the highest-density outbreaks occurring during the rainy season after periods of prolonged drought. During the long dry seasons ("off-season"), the population densities are very low and no outbreaks are seen.
Heterodera avenae, the cereal cyst nematode or European cyst nematode, is a plant pathogen and an obligate parasite of cereal crops including barley, oats, wheat and rye. Cereal crops infected with this nematode are more susceptible to infection by fungal diseases such as rhizoctonia root rot.
Adelphocoris lineolatus, is commonly known as the Lucerne bug or the alfalfa plant bug, and belongs to the family Miridae. It is an agricultural pest causing vast amounts of damage to numerous crops, but primarily to alfalfa crops around the globe.
The Senegalese grasshopper is a medium-sized grasshopper species found in the Sahel region of Africa, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, and West Asia. Although not called a locust in English, this species shows gregarious behaviour and some morphological change on crowding. In many parts of the Sahel, this species may cause greater year-on-year crop damage than better-known locusts, attacking crops such as the pearl millet.
Rhyzopertha is a monotypic genus of beetles in the family Bostrichidae, the false powderpost beetles. The sole species, Rhyzopertha dominica, is known commonly as the lesser grain borer, American wheat weevil, Australian wheat weevil, and stored grain borer. It is a beetle commonly found within store bought products and pest of stored cereal grains located worldwide. It is also a major pest of peanuts. The first documentation of wheat infestation by R. dominica was observed in Australia. R. dominica are usually reddish brown to dark brown in coloration, vary in sizes, elongated and cylindrical.
The Angoumois grain moth is a species of the Gelechiidae moth family, commonly referred to as the "rice grain moth". It is most abundant in the temperate or tropical climates of India, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Egypt and Nigeria, with its location of origin being currently unknown. It is most commonly associated as a pest of field and stored cereal grains as they burrow within the kernel grains of crop plants, rendering them unusable for human consumption. By laying eggs between the grains themselves and hatching at a later time, often during the processing, transportation or storage stages, the moth can be transported to households or countries presently free of Angoumois grain moth infestations. Thus, constant protection against the Angoumois grain moth is required for grain up till the time of consumption.
The maize weevil, known in the United States as the greater rice weevil, is a species of beetle in the family Curculionidae. It can be found in numerous tropical areas around the world, and in the United States, and is a major pest of maize. This species attacks both standing crops and stored cereal products, including wheat, rice, sorghum, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat, peas, and cottonseed. The maize weevil also infests other types of stored, processed cereal products such as pasta, cassava, and various coarse, milled grains. It has even been known to attack fruit while in storage, such as apples.
Trichopoda pennipes is a species of feather-legged fly in the dipteran family Tachinidae.
Spilosoma obliqua, the jute hairy caterpillar or Bihar hairy caterpillar, is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is found in south-eastern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Eurygaster maura, also known as tortoise bug, is a species of true bugs or shield-backed bugs belonging to the family Scutelleridae.
Rhopalosiphum rufiabdominale, the rice root aphid or red rice root aphid, is a sap-sucking insect pest with a wide host range and a global distribution. As a member of the superfamily Aphidoidea, it is one of 16 species of the genus Rhopalosiphum. Adults and nymphs are soft-bodied and usually dark green with brown, red, or yellow tones. Like all aphids, reproduction is sexual and asexual, depending on the environmental conditions and host plant. Rice root aphids cause injury to external plant parts, namely the roots or stem, by feeding on plant sap and vector several important plant viruses. The hosts of this pest extend across multiple plant families with most belonging to Rosaceae, Poaceae, and Solanaceae. R. rufiabdominale is universally associated with Prunus species but also infests various field crops, greenhouse vegetables, cannabis, and other ornamental plants. While this aphid originates from east Asia, it spans nearly every continent. Dispersal is particularly widespread across the United States, India, and Australia, with crop damage documented in multiple instances, although economic losses are primarily associated with Japanese rice crops. Nonetheless, it remains a pest of serious concern due to its high mobility, discrete habitat, and adaptive plasticity, giving it the rightful reputation as a successful invader.
Eriosoma lanigerum, the woolly apple aphid, woolly aphid or American blight, is an aphid in the superfamily Aphidoidea in the order Hemiptera. It is a true bug and sucks sap from plants.
Dysdercus suturellus is a species of true bug in the family Pyrrhocoridae, commonly known as a cotton stainer. The adult insect is slender, about 1 to 1.5 cm long, with a red thorax and dark brown wings marked with a yellow cross. It is native to the southeast of the United States, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. It is a pest of cotton crops and other plants, the adults and older nymphs feeding on the emerging bolls and the ripening seeds.
Metopolophium dirhodum, the rose-grain aphid or rose-grass aphid, is a species of sap-sucking insect in the family Aphididae found worldwide. Its primary host is rose, and its secondary host is a grass, including cereals such as wheat, barley, oats and rye. It is an important vector of the barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) which causes serious reductions in yields of affected crops.
Odoiporus longicollis, commonly known as banana stem weevil or banana pseudostem borer, is a species of weevil found in South Asia and South East Asia.
| Authority control databases: National |
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