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Insect pests on Brassicaceae

Picture	Scientific name	Common name	Description
	Agriotes lineatus	Wireworm	Larvae are up to 20 mm in length and have a shiny pale yellow color. Adults are flattened, elongate, brown or black beetles and 7-8 mm in length.
	Agrotis ipsilon	Black cutworm	Larvae hide during daytime in the soil. Young larvae feed on leaves, older larvae feed commonly on seedlings at ground level, sometimes cutting off the stem. When disturbed larvae curl up into a C-shape. They are dark brown or black in color. Adults are brown or gray with irregular spots and lighter hind wings.
	Agrotis segetum	Turnip moth	Larvae are covered with long hairs and 1st instars have 3, 2nd instars between 6 and 10 prolegs. Fully grown larvae are 40-50 in length. Adults have a wingspan of approx. 40 mm and brown fore wings with a clear circular spot in the middle.
		Aphids	Insects vary in size from 2-4 mm. The color varies from green to black. Nymphs are without, adults with wings. They can vector several plant viruses. Leaves are curled and wrinkled, if infestation is severe plants may die.
	Aphis craccivora	Cowpea aphid	Cowpea aphids are tiny insects with shiny black to dark brown bodies and brown to yellow legs. Plants become stunted and deformed when populations are high. They can vector diseases. Aphids are often associated with ants.
	Bemisia sp.	White fly	Larvae are tine (0.2-0.7 mm) scale-like insects. Adults are yellow/white. Feeding causes chlorotic spots on leaves.
	Chrysodeixis eriosoma	Green semi looper	Young larvae feed on leave undersides making windows between the veins. Larval color varies depending from diet. They appear to have only 2 but have actually 3 prolegs. Adults have a bronze-white wings with two silvery white spots near the center of the forewings.
	Crocidolomia pavonana	Cabbage caterpillar	Young larvae feed on undersides of leaves, older larvae skeletonize complete leaves. Larvae are green-yellow in color, head and thorax are dark brown. Late instars are characterized by white longitudinal stripes. All abdominal segments have tubercles.
	Delia sp.	Maggots	Larvae feed in host plant roots. They are creamy-white maggots. Fully grown larvae can be up to 10 mm in length.
	Diaphania nitidalis	Pickleworm	The Pickleworm feeds on foliage and on fruits. Larvae are often colorless except for a black spot on each side of the head. The adult moth has a pale yellow spot near the center of each forewing. On the white-tipped abdomen are dark brush-like hairs.
	Helicoverpa armigera	Tomato fruitworm	1st and 2nd larvae are yellow-white in color with dark legs. Color is extremely variable in older larvae. Adults have a wingspan of 35-40 cm, and a length of 14-18 mm. Damage differs by host species. The tomato fruitworm is polyphagous and older larvae may bore into pods and consume seeds.
	Hellula undalis	Cabbage webworm	Larvae bore into the plant growing points, destroying the terminal bud. Larvae have dark heads, a creamy body with light pinkish-brown longitudinal stripes. Adults are gray brown with pale dusky hindwings. Each forewing has zigzagging brown lines.
	Liriomyza sp.	Leafminer	Leafminer are tiny insects which lay their eggs in leaves just below the surface. Larvae mine leaves and destroy photosynthetic area. Adults are small black and yellow flies, which may be detected flying closely around host plants.
		Mealybugs	Scale insects, have often a symbiotic relationship with ants. Adults have glossy white wax threads extend from the body.
	Nezara viridula	Green stink bug	Species vary in color, but green is predominat. The first 3 instars form clusters. Adults are 8 x 15 mm in size. Feeding punctures provide access for infection by bacteria and fungus.
	Phyllotreta striolata	Cabbage flea beetle	Larvae are hidden, they feed on roots and organic matter in the soil. Adults are shiny black with characteristic yellow stripes on the elytra. The body length is about 2.2 mm. Adults chew small, round holes in leaves.
	Pieris rapae	Imported cabbage worm	Young larvae are pale yellow and covered with fine hair. Later instars become green. Larvae silk the surface of host plant leaves and anchor their rear ends to it. The adults have white wings with black spots.
	Plutella xylostella	Diamondback moth	The night-active larvae prefer younger leaves to feed. Larval color is variable but green is dominant. Pupae are 40-70 mm long, mahagony brown in color and have distinctive "jug-handle" proboscis. Adults have a wingspan of 80-130 mm. Ground color is light to dark gray with dark patches and markings.
- no photo available -	Spodoptera exigua	Beet armyworm	Young larvae commonly feed on the under surface of leaves, leaving the upper epidermis and larger veins intact. They are light green to dark brown with longitudinal stripes. Adults are 10-15 mm long with a wingspan of 25 mm.
	Spodoptera litura	Armyworm	Eggs are laid in clusters of several hundred. Larvae are hairless and variable in color. They have longitudinal bands and two dark spots laterally on each segment.
	Thrips tabaci	Onion thrips	Adults have slender wings, which are fringed with long hairs. Leaves turn silvery or bronze, sometimes stunted and wilt by feeding.
	Trichoplusia ni	Cabbage looper	Young larvae are initially white, but become later pale green. They have a light stripe down each side. They grow 4 cm in length. The caterpillar moves with a characteristic "looping" motion. Adults are 25 mm long, gray-brown with a wingspan of 33 to 38 mm.
Picture	Scientific name	Common name	Description