• Cotton aphid

  General The cotton aphid ( Aphis gossypii ) is an extremely polyphagous aphid found on more than 700 plant species. Crop plants attacked by this aphid include cotton, citrus , coffee , cocoa, eggplant , cucumber , melon , pepper and many ornamental plants such as chrysanthemum and kalanchoe. The cotton aphid ( Aphis gossypii ) is distributed throughout the world but prefers the warmer regions. It has been a pest in European greenhouses since the late

• Rose aphid

  General The rose aphid, Macrosiphum rosae , is a serious and often abundant pest of roses. It is virtually cosmopolitan and widely spread in Europe. Damage symptoms Infestations with rose aphids retard the growth of buds and new shoots. Foliage and flowers are often disfigured and contaminated with sticky honeydew on which black sooty moulds develop. Life cycle and appearance of Rose aphid Aphids have a complex life cycle, with both winged and

• Two-spotted spider mite

  General Two-spotted spider mite ( Tetranychus urticae ) is a pest of many crops throughout the world. Despite their small size, they are capable of very rapidly doing severe damage, due to their great reproductive capacity. There are more than 1200 species worldwide and many of them are major crop pests. The two-spotted spider mite ( Tetranychus urticae ) is by far the most important species in greenhouses and many outdoor crops. Damage symptoms Larvae

• Tomato leaf miner

  General The tomato leaf miner (Liriomyza bryoniae) has many host plants and has caused crop damage in many parts of the world, including North Africa, Europe and northern Asia. In warmer regions, the insect is found outdoors but in temperate regions it only occurs in greenhouses. The tomato leaf miner has been found in greenhouses for decades, but has become a common pest since the 1960’s, particularly in sweet pepper , lettuce , melon , chrysanthemum

• Woolly apple aphid

  General The woolly aphid, Eriosoma lanigerum , is a serious worldwide apple pest. It is probably of North American origin and has been distributed to other parts of the world mainly via infested apple rootstocks. It can occasionally also be found in pear , quince and a few other woody Rosaceae. Damage symptoms Galls are often produced on infested wood. These galls may seriously disfigure young trees and nursery stock. If the galls split they may

• Green peach aphid

  General The green peach aphid ( Myzus persicae subsp. persicae ) is an important insect pest in sweet pepper , tomato , cucumber and many other greenhouse crops. The aphid may originate from Asia, where its winter-hardy host plant, the peach tree, is native, however it is now a pest with a world-wide distribution. The green peach aphid ( Myzus persicae subsp. persicae ) is a particularly polyphagous aphid with summer host plants from more than 40

• Western flower thrips

  General The western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) is currently the most damaging thrips species in many greenhouse crops. The western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) can be found on a wide variety of plants, including many vegetable and ornamental crops in greenhouses, and on various weeds. It is an especially significant pest in cucumber , sweet pepper , eggplants, and many ornamental crops. Damage symptoms Thrips cause

• Tobacco aphid

  General The tobacco aphid ( Myzus persicae subsp. nicotianae ) probably evolved from the peach potato aphid in the Far East and is a key pest of tobacco crops in both the United States and South America. The tobacco aphid ( Myzus persicae subsp. nicotianae ) is also encountered in a range of crops in greenhouses, such as sweet pepper , aubergine, chrysanthemum , and various pot plants and cut flower crops. Damage symptoms Nymphs and adults extract

• Glasshouse potato aphid

  General The glasshouse potato aphid ( Aulacorthum solani) is a native European species of aphids , seriously affecting crops of sweet pepper in particular. These aphids further affect ornamental crops, such as begonia, as well as potato , lettuce , beans, aubergine and sometimes tomato . Damage symptoms When the glasshouse potato aphid (Aulacorthum solani) pierces the leaves or the fruit of sweet pepper it secretes a toxic substance, which leads to

• Tomato leafminer

  General The tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta), a major pest of field- and greenhouse-grown tomatoes, belongs to the family of Gelechiidae . It is oligophagous, feeding mainly on Solanaceae species . The main host is tomato but it also feeds on other solanaceous crop plants including potato , eggplant , capsicum pepper and tobacco as well as weeds such as Datura stramonium, Lycium chilense , and Solanum nigrum. Damage symptoms The most