J ULY 2009 P RI MEFACT 833

Insect pests of cucurbit vegetables

Tony Napier
District Horticulturist, Intensive Industries
Development, Yanco
Cucurbits include watermelons, cantaloupes,
cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, squash, bitter
melons, gourds, and hairy melons. They are grown
in most parts of NSW in frost-free times. Cucurbits
are warm weather crops which are sown, grown
and harvested over spring, summer and autumn.
Insect pests can do damage wherever cucurbits
are grown. Some insect pests are specific to
cucurbits, but most are pests of other crops as well.
None of the following pests need routine control
measures, but they do need to be regularly
monitored and treated when the pest becomes a
problem.
Aphids
There are a number of aphid species that attack
cucurbits including melon aphid Aphis gossypii,
cowpea aphid Aphis craccivora, potato aphid
Macrosiphum euphorbiae and green peach aphid
Myzus persicae.
Aphids usually produce live young, but can
sometimes lay eggs.

Figure 1. Melon aphid
The melon aphid (also known as cotton aphid) is
the most important aphid pest, with the other aphid
species usually only a minor problem. Melon
aphids are usually more abundant in spring and
autumn and they prefer watermelons, cantaloupes,
cucumbers and pumpkins. Cotton and some
ornamentals are also hosts.
The melon aphid is small and both the winged and
wingless forms are found together. The winged
form varies in colour from green to almost black,
with the darker forms being the most common. The
wings are held roof-like over the abdomen while at
rest. The wingless forms are uniform light to dark
green. The antennae and cornicles are shorter than
they are in the winged form.
The melon aphid can be distinguished from other
aphids by the colour of its cornicles, which are
always black, while the cauda is pale.

Figure 2. Cowpea aphid
The cowpea aphid adult has a shiny, dark body
with dark red eyes. Cowpea aphids may be winged
or wingless and are often seen thickly clustered on
the terminal parts of stems and shoots.
The potato aphid is usually wingless but can be
found with wings. They vary in colour from pink with
a yellowish head and a yellowish-pink thorax to
yellowish or light green with long slender cornicles.



Figure 3. Potato aphid
The green peach aphid is light to dark green, or
sometimes pink, with red eyes. It has a small body
with three dark lines running down the back.
Winged females have a central black patch on the
upper abdomen and a dark head and thorax.
Cornicles have distinct dark tips.

Figure 4. Winged and wingless green peach aphid
Aphids usually feed on the underside of leaves, but
can attack the soft growing tips. Large populations
in a seedling crop can cause leaves to curl and
premature death of the leaf or growing tip. In older
crops vine development is retarded and yield can
be reduced. Aphids leave a sticky substance called
honeydew on the leaves and growing tips. This
honeydew can promote the growth of sooty mould,
which reduces plant vigour. The more important
damage caused by aphids is that they can transmit
damaging viral diseases when they feed. The
melon aphid is the main vector of the mosaic virus
while the other aphid species are minor vectors.
Cutworm
Cutworms (Agrotis spp.) are minor and infrequent
pests of cucurbits. They look similar to heliothis and
cluster caterpillars. The bogong moth is the adult
form of a cutworm. Its forewings are patterned with
a row of three light spots, contrasting with the dark
background. The hind wings are paler in colour.
Bogong moths lay their eggs in clusters on cucurbit
leaves or weeds close to the soil.

Figure 5. Bogong moth
Caterpillars can range from 2.55 cm long and can
vary a great deal in colour. They are usually a dark
grey-brown and curl into a distinct C shape when
disturbed.

Figure 6. Cutworm larva
Twentyeight spotted ladybird beetle
(Cucurbit or Leaf eating ladybird beetle)
Twenty-eight spotted ladybird beetles,
Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata, are common
pests of cucurbits in NSW. When populations are
high they will feed on other host crops, including
solanaceous crops such as potatoes. They look
similar to other ladybird beetles and are a major
pest of cucurbits. Eggs are laid in clusters,
generally on the underside of leaves. Eggs appear
tall, pointed and yellow in colour, each about 2 mm
high and 1 mm across. The larvae are oval and
yellow with sparse, stiff, dark hairs. The adult
twenty-eight spotted ladybird beetles are relatively
larger than other ladybird species. Adult beetles are
orange in colour with 28 black spots on their back.
PRIMEFACT 833, INSECT PESTS OF CUCURBIT VEGETABLES 2
There are 13 black spots on each wing cover and
two spots on the thorax.

Figure 7. Twenty-eight spotted ladybird: eggs,
larvae and adult
The twenty-eight spotted ladybird beetles, which
feed on plant material, are sometimes confused
with other ladybird beetles which act as beneficial
insects and feed on other insect pests. The twenty-
eight spotted ladybird beetles leave very
characteristic 'windowing' damage to leaves. The
green tissue between the veins is eaten by adults
feeding on the upper side and the larvae feeding
on the underside of leaves. Larvae are common
and also feed on leaves, flowers and the rind of the
fruit.
Pumpkin beetles
There are two types of pumpkin beetles: the
banded pumpkin beetle Aulacophora hilaris and the
plain pumpkin beetle Aulacophora abdominalis.
Both species attack all commercial cucurbit crops.
They are strong fliers, very active in hot weather
and take flight quickly when disturbed.
Adults lay their eggs in small clusters on dead
leaves or moist soil under the plants. Larvae are
creamy-white in colour and about 1012 mm long.
Larvae can be found feeding on roots and the
underside of fruit. Adults are about 67 mm long
with six legs. The plain pumpkin beetle is uniformly
orange in colour, while the banded pumpkin beetle
is also orange and has four very distinct large black
spots on its back (one on each corner of the wing
cover).
Pumpkin beetles tend to cluster together and can
quickly defoliate and kill seedlings and small plants.
Older plants can tolerate a greater amount of
feeding before yields start to decline. Flowers are
destroyed and feeding on the skin of fruit causes
blemishes. Larvae feed on roots, but damage is
minimal and usually plants are not affected.

Figure 8. Banded pumpkin beetles (photo courtesy
Peter Deuter, QDPI&F)

Figure 9. Plain pumpkin beetle (photo courtesy of
Haidee Brown, Entomology Section, Diagnostic
Services, NT Department of RDPIFR)
Mites
There are a number of mite species that attack
cucurbits, including two-spotted (spider) mite
Tetranychus urticae, bean spider mite Tetranychus
ludeni, red legged earth mite Halotydeus
destructor, broad mite Polyphagotarsonemus latus,
blue oat mite Penthaleus major and clover mite
Bryobia cristata. Two-spotted mites are the most
important mite pest, with the other species being of
less importance. All species lay minute, globular,
and almost transparent eggs. Some can have a
yellowish-white tinge and others a reddish tinge.
The larvae have six legs and are pale yellowish-
white, minute and oval. The larvae moult to
become eight-legged nymphs. The adults of all
species are tiny, with eight legs. The two-spotted
mite is minute and barely visible to the naked eye.
It is about 0.30.5 mm long and appears yellowish-
green with two pronounced dark spots.
PRIMEFACT 833, INSECT PESTS OF CUCURBIT VEGETABLES 3

Figure 10.Two-spotted mites
Mites feed on the underside of leaves. Damage is
first noticed on the upper side of leaves as pale or
bronzed areas along the midrib and veins of
leaves. Heavily infested leaves may become
bronzed and shrivelled. Severe infestations can
cause premature leaf fall. Damaging populations
develop quickly in warm, dry conditions. Dusty
conditions can also favour early infestations. Some
mites cover plants in webbing for protection from
predators while they feed and shelter.
Thrips
There are a number of thrips species that attack
cucurbits including melon thrips Thrips palmi, onion
thrips Thrips tabaci, plague thrips Thrips imaginis
and western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis.
Thrips are minor and frequent pests of cucurbits in
temperate regions, but major and regular pests in
tropical and subtropical zones. Eggs are laid into
actively growing leaf tissue, developing flower buds
and fruit.

Figure 11. Melon thrips
After hatching, the wingless larvae are white or
yellowish in colour with an elongate body about
0.51 mm long. The adults are also torpedo
shaped and grow to about 1.01.5 mm long. They
have two pairs of wings that have fine hairs around
the margins.

Figure 12. Onion thrips
Thrips vary in colour and size depending on
species.

Figure 13. Plague thrips
Thrips can be found on all the above-ground parts
of a plant and are commonly seen in flowers and
on the back of leaves. Thrips feeding damage
appears as silvering and flecking on the leaves of
seedlings. Heavily infested plants are characterised
by a silvered or bronzed appearance of the leaves,
stunted leaves and terminal shoots, and scarred,
deformed fruits.

Figure 14. Western flower thrips
If predator numbers (such as predatory mites) are
high enough, they can control thrips. If insecticides
are used, care should be taken as the overuse of
insecticides has, in the past, increased the
problem; probably by killing the natural enemies.
Heliothis
Heliothis are a minor and occasional pest of
cucurbits in most areas of NSW, but can be a major
pest in some tropical and subtropical regions of
Australia. There are two species that attack
PRIMEFACT 833, INSECT PESTS OF CUCURBIT VEGETABLES 4
cucurbits, including the corn earworm Helicoverpa
armigera and native budworm Helicoverpa
punctigera.

Figure 15. Heliothis moth
The colour of the adult moth can vary and looks
similar to a bogong moth. Its forewings are buff to
reddish brown with dark markings. The hindwings
are pale grey with a dark band along the lower
edge. Newly emerged larvae are 1.5 mm long,
cream in colour, hairy and have a dark brown head.
Older larvae can be green, pink, buff, or brown.
The larvae have distinct lateral (side) stripes, and
have visible hairs. Fully mature larvae measure
about 40 mm.

Figure 16. Heliothis grub
Heliothis larvae chew on the foliage, flowers or fruit
of cucurbits. The feeding damage on fruit results in
surface tunnelling on skin usually where the fruit is
closest to the ground. In cantaloupes the netting is
damaged. Damaged flowers will affect the
pollination processes and fruit set will be impaired.
When feeding they like to be protected and tend to
be found in hidden areas of foliage and covered
areas of fruit.

State of New South Wales through NSW Department of
Primary Industries 2009. You may copy, distribute and
otherwise freely deal with this publication for any purpose,
provided that you attribute NSW Department of Primary
Industries as the owner.
ISSN 1832-6668
Check for updates of this Primefact at:
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/primefacts
Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is
based on knowledge and understanding at the time of writing
(J uly 2009). However, because of advances in knowledge,
users are reminded of the need to ensure that information
upon which they rely is up to date and to check currency of
the information with the appropriate officer of New South
Wales Department of Primary Industries or the users
independent adviser.
J ob number 8999 PUB09/64
PRIMEFACT 833, INSECT PESTS OF CUCURBIT VEGETABLES 5