Here are the scientific names, families, orders, damaging stages, nature of damage, oviposition habits, pupation sites, and management strategies for several pests that affect Okra trees:
1. Okra Shoot Borer
- Scientific name: Earias vittella
- Family: Noctuidae
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Damaging stage: Larvae
- Nature of damage: Boring into shoots and stems, causing wilting and dieback
- Oviposition: Eggs are laid on young shoots or leaves
- Pupation site: Pupates in the soil
- Management: Regular monitoring, removal of affected shoots, use of biological control agents like parasitic wasps (Trichogramma spp.), and application of insecticides if necessary.
2. Okra Fruit Borer
- Scientific name: Earias spp. (Earias insulana, Earias fabia, Earias biplaga)
- Family: Noctuidae
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Damaging stage: Larvae
- Nature of damage: Boring into fruits, causing fruit drop and spoilage
- Oviposition: Eggs are laid on fruits or calyx
- Pupation site: Pupates in the soil or fallen fruits
- Management: Regular monitoring, early harvesting of infested fruits, removal and destruction of infested fruits, use of pheromone traps, and application of insecticides if necessary.
3. Leafhoppers
- Scientific name: Empoasca spp. (Empoasca fabae, Empoasca kerriprugnalis)
- Family: Cicadellidae
- Order: Hemiptera
- Damaging stage: Nymphs and adults
- Nature of damage: Sucking sap from leaves, causing yellowing, stunted growth, and leaf curling
- Oviposition: Eggs are inserted into leaf tissues
- Pupation site: N/A (Incomplete metamorphosis)
- Management: Cultural practices like maintaining weed-free fields, conserving natural enemies (predatory insects), and judicious use of insecticides if necessary.
4. Okra Aphids
- Scientific name: Aphis gossypii
- Family: Aphididae
- Order: Hemiptera
- Damaging stage: Nymphs and adults
- Nature of damage: Sucking sap from leaves, stems, and pods, causing wilting, yellowing, and deformation
- Oviposition: Live birth (viviparous reproduction)
- Pupation site: N/A (Incomplete metamorphosis)
- Management: Regular monitoring, physical removal of aphids, use of beneficial insects (e.g., ladybugs), reflective mulching, and application of insecticidal soaps or oils if necessary.
5. Okra Whitefly
- Scientific name: Bemisia tabaci
- Family: Aleyrodidae
- Order: Hemiptera
- Damaging stage: Nymphs and adults
- Nature of damage: Sucking sap from leaves, causing yellowing, stunted growth, and honeydew secretion
- Oviposition: Eggs are laid on the undersides of leaves
- Pupation site: N/A (Incomplete metamorphosis)
- Management: Cultural practices like maintaining weed-free fields, use of yellow sticky traps, releasing parasitic wasps (Encarsia spp.), and application of insecticides if necessary.
6. Leaf Roller
- Scientific name: Spodoptera litura
- Family: Noctuidae
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Damaging stage: Larvae
- Nature of damage: Rolling and tying
leaves together, feeding on leaves and buds
- Oviposition: Eggs are laid on leaves
- Pupation site: Pupates in the soil
- Management: Regular monitoring, removal and destruction of affected leaves, use of biological control agents like Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), and application of insecticides if necessary.
7. Red Spider Mite
- Scientific name: Tetranychus spp. (Tetranychus urticae, Tetranychus ludeni)
- Family: Tetranychidae
- Order: Prostigmata
- Damaging stage: Nymphs and adults
- Nature of damage: Sucking sap from leaves, causing yellowing, stippling, and leaf drop
- Oviposition: Eggs are laid on the undersides of leaves
- Pupation site: N/A (No distinct pupal stage)
- Management: Regular monitoring, use of predatory mites (e.g., Phytoseiulus persimilis), maintaining proper humidity, and application of acaricides if necessary.
8. Helicoverpa (Helicoverpa armigera)
- Scientific name: Helicoverpa armigera
- Family: Noctuidae
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Damaging stage: Larvae
- Nature of damage: Feeding on leaves, buds, flowers, and fruits, causing defoliation and fruit damage
- Oviposition: Eggs are laid on various plant parts, including leaves and fruits
- Pupation site: Pupates in the soil
- Management: Regular monitoring, use of pheromone traps, cultural practices like crop rotation, use of biological control agents like nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV), and application of insecticides if necessary.
9. Flea Beetle
- Scientific name: Podagrica spp. (Podagrica spp., Podagrica uniforma)
- Family: Chrysomelidae
- Order: Coleoptera
- Damaging stage: Adults (beetles)
- Nature of damage: Feeding on leaves, causing shot holes and defoliation
- Oviposition: Eggs are laid in the soil near host plants
- Pupation site: Pupates in the soil
- Management: Cultural practices like removing crop residues, use of reflective mulching, maintaining weed-free fields, and application of insecticides if necessary.
10. Leaf Miner (Liriomyza spp.)
- Scientific name: Liriomyza spp. (Liriomyza sativae, Liriomyza trifolii)
- Family: Agromyzidae
- Order: Diptera
- Damaging stage: Larvae (mining inside leaves)
- Nature of damage: Formation of serpentine mines or blotches on leaves, causing leaf yellowing and necrosis
- Oviposition: Eggs are laid inside leaf tissues
- Pupation site: Pupates within the leaf mine or in the soil
- Management: Regular monitoring, removal and destruction of infested leaves, use of parasitic wasps (e.g., Diglyphus isaea), and application of insecticides if necessary.
