• Red palm weevil

  long thin rostrum that holds the antennae and tiny mandibles. The size and colour of adult weevils greatly varies. Most individuals in the Mediterranean area [...] morphology of the palms, direct or indirect destruction of the apical bud will lead to the death of the plant, which makes the red palm weevil ( Rhynchophorus [...] spread to Africa and Europe with distribution through the Mediterranean since the 1980s. Damage symptoms It is very difficult to recognize the first signs of

• Leaf stripe

  formed at the base of the leaf and the leaf sheath. They gradually extend and become brown and chlorotic and may merge. Eventually this leads to the death [...] be distorted and failing to emerge from the sheath. Ear length and the number of kernels may be reduced and kernels may be brown. The symptoms do not always [...] fungus is seed-borne and this systemic infection is the only source of primary infection. The fungus spreads from the seed into the seedling. Conidia are produced

• Spotted Wing Drosophila

  saw-like ovipositor that is used to penetrate the skin of the host fruit and for laying the egg into the fruit. Eggs are white, 0.6 long and 0.2 mm wide. Each [...] tubes which stick out of the fruit. There are three larval instars and in the third instar the larvae are about 3.9 mm long. The pupae of Drosophila suzukii [...] development takes place in the fruit. The larvae pupate either fully or partly in the fruit, or outside the fruit on the ground.

• Pierce's disease of grapevine

  (peaches and plums): In peach, the canopy of infected plants is compact and umbrella-like due to the shorter internodes. The foliage is denser and the leaves [...] along the margin or the tip from early to midsummer. The necrotic area spreads over the leaf from the margin and is marked by a chlorotic band. In the beginning [...] normal and look stunted. Twigs and branches die and the foliage becomes thinner, but the trees don’t die of the disease. Olives: Scorch symptoms and desiccation

• Asian citrus psyllid

  through most of the southern states and Mexico however the state of Florida is the most affected area by the vectored disease. Damage symptoms The psyllid is [...] distributed in southern Asia and the disease is responsible for the destruction of several citrus industries in Asia and Africa. In North America, it has [...] mature. Worst damage is done when the insect is vector of the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus that cause the fatal citrus disease called citrus

• Green peach aphid

  different viruses and is thus rightfully feared by many growers. Nymphs and adults extract nutrients from the plant and disturb the balance of growth hormones [...] As a result, the plant’s growth is retarded giving rise to deformed leaves or, if the infestation occurs early enough in the season, the death of young [...] quantities of sap to get sufficient protein. The excess sugar is secreted in the form of honeydew, making the crop and its fruit sticky. Black fungal moulds (

• Early blight

  General The only known stage in all Alternaria species is the asexual stage. Conidia and mycelium overwinter in the soil and on crop residues and cause primary [...] lesions on stem and foot. On fruits, dark sunken, leathery lesions occur at the side of the stem. Life cycle and appearance of Early blight From the primary infection [...] spores surviving in the soil are the main source of infection. Especially wheat and barley reduce the number of surviving conidia in the soil. Use resistant

• Black root rot of cucurbits

  roots. The lesions are slightly sunken and are mostly formed around the point of attachment of lateral roots and root hairs. The lesions may grow and encircle [...] at 10 °C the lesions are light-brown. The lesions can be enclosed by pseudostromata: dark coloured tissue that looks like black stripes. The disease is [...] a few of the roots but in severe cases all roots may be infected. At the final stage of the disease, only vascular tissue remains because the cortex (outer

• Black rot of carrots

  General The only known stage in all Alternaria species is the asexual stage. Conidia and mycelium overwinter in the soil and on crop residues and cause primary [...] spores surviving in the soil are the main source of infection. Especially wheat and barley reduce the number of surviving conidia in the soil. Use resistant [...] causes spots on leaves, petals and stems. These spots can be distinguished by the dark and brown concentric rings that are caused by sporulation. Species

• Parasitic wasps

  begin to feed on the host pest. They consume the host from the inside, which ultimately leads to the death of the host. Pupal stage: After the larvae have consumed [...] hunt down and parasitize pest species, providing ongoing protection for crops throughout the growing season. Biodiversity and ecosystem balance: The introduction [...] eggs either inside the host's body or attaches them to the host's exterior. Larval development: When the parasitic wasp eggs hatch, the newly emerged larvae