The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener's Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking by Paul W. Bosland & Dave DeWitt

Author:Paul W. Bosland & Dave DeWitt [Bosland, Paul W.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Hornworm.

GREEN PEACH APHIDS OR

PLANT LICE (Myzus persicae)

Description: These pests are

usually light green and soft-

bodied. They cluster on leaf

undersides and on stems.

Damage: Aphids excrete a sticky

liquid called honeydew, which

creates spots on the foliage. A

black fungus, sooty mold, may

then grow on the honeydew.

Severe infestations can cause

wilting, stunting, curling, and leaf

distortion.

Control: Normally, aphid predators

and parasites keep the aphid

numbers low, but the aphids can

multiply quickly. Spray with

insecticidal soap.

GRUBS

Description: Grubs are white to

light yellow with dark brown

heads. They are the larvae of

June beetles, May beetles, and

Japanese beetles. There are more

than one hundred species of

white grubs. They are curved (C-

shaped) and ½ inch to 1½ inches

long.

Damage: The larvae feed on roots

and underground parts. Root-

feeding can cause wilting,

stunting, and death of the plant.

Control: Till the soil repeatedly to

uproot the grubs so the birds can

eat them. Apply insecticide.

HORNWORMS ( Manduca sexta

and M. quinquemaculata)

Description: These worms are the

larval stage of the sphinx moth. A

green body with diagonal lines

on the sides and a prominent horn

on the rear end distinguishes

these worms. They can be up to 4

inches long.

Damage: Foliage is eaten, and

these worms can strip a chile

pepper plant quickly.

Control: Hornworms are large

enough to be removed by hand.

Rotenone, Bacillus, and Sevin

dust are also effective.

LEAFHOPPERS

Description: These bugs are green,

wedge-shaped, and up to ⅛ inch

long. They fly quickly when

disturbed. Nymphs resemble

adults but are smaller.

Damage: The leafhopper spreads

curly top virus and can cause

hopperburn. Hopperburn is rare

in chile pepper, but the symptoms

are tips and sides of chile pepper

leaves turning yellow to brown

and becoming brittle.

Control: Remove infested plants or

plant parts immediately to reduce

overwintering sites. Use floating

row covers as a physical barrier

to keep leafhoppers from

damaging plants. Beneficial

insects such as ladybugs,

lacewings, and minute pirate

bugs are all voracious predators

of both the egg and young larval

stage. If leafhopper levels

become intolerable, spot spray

with insecticides as a last resort.

LEAF MINERS ( Liriomyza

trifolii)

Description: The larva is yellow,

about ⅛ inch long, and lives in

pods and leaves. The adult is a

tiny black-and-yellow fly.

Damage: The infected leaves are

blotchy. The larvae make long,

slender, winding tunnels under

the epidermis of the pod and the

leaf.

Control: Natural enemies,

primarily parasitic wasps, often

control leaf miners. When natural

enemies are killed by pesticides,

leaf miner outbreaks are

common. Remove infested

leaves. Sabadilla dust will

control leaf miners.

PEPPER MAGGOTS

( Zonosemata electa)

Description: The maggot is the

larva of a fly.

The pepper maggot is white or

yellowish-white and ¼ to ½ inch

long. Adult flies are yellow-

striped, about ¼ inch long, with

dark bars on the wings.

Damage: The pepper maggot feeds

inside the pod by tunneling

underneath the calyx. The damage

appears very similar to that of the

European corn borer. The first

sign of a pepper-maggot

infestation is the appearance of

tiny elliptical holes in pods. The

female’s ovipositor creates these

holes as she inserts her eggs just

beneath the skin of young pods.

As infested pods enlarge, the egg

punctures become shallow

depressions. Pods damaged by

the pepper maggot are

susceptible to premature pod

ripening and rotting, as a result of

pathogens such as Erwinia

carotovora entering through the

feeding wound. Although external

damage to the pod is not always

easily discernible, considerable

internal tunneling and

discoloration is caused by the

maggot.

Control: Field sanitation and

rotation typically are used to

control pepper maggot. Adult

flies are attracted to rotting pods,

so removing rotting pods from

fields reduces the fields’

attractiveness to egg-laying flies.

Destroying infested pods, which

act as reservoirs, can help

minimize future infestations.

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