1. Cucurbit Insect Pests
Ecological Management
Jawwad Hassan Mirza
Student ID# 435108485
Ph.D. 2nd Semester
College of Food and Agriculture Sciences
King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA

2. Cucurbits
• (1)Cucurbitaceae, Vine Crop Family, (118 genera, 825
species)
• Tropical and Subtropical Climate
• (2)China largest producer globally
• (3)Free of Cholesterol
• Good Source of Vitamin A&C and Iron
• Phytochemicals
– Cucurbitin = seeds, retards fluke developement
– Cucurbitacin = flesh and seeds, toxic; bitter taste
– Cucurmosin = seeds, protein synthesis inhibitor
1. Khan et al , 2015; 2. FAO, 2012; 3. UDC, 2015

3. MAJOR GROUPS
CUCUMBER
GOURD MELON PUMPKIN
SQUASH
Khan et al , 2015

4. Uses of Cucurbit
• Food Source
– Ice creams, puddings, pies
– Salad, Soup
• Medicinal Value
– Anti-diabetic
– Anticarcinogenic
– Anti-inflammatory
• Cosmetics
– Soaps and Oils for dry and sensitive skin
• Festivals
– Halloween
• Art, Music and Literature
Burrows and Tylr, 2013

5. Red Pumpkin Beetle
Aulacophora foviecollis
Cucumber Beetle
Acalymma spp
Squash Vine Borers
Melitta cucurbitae
Whitefly
Bemisia argentifolii
Squash Bugs Anasa tristis
Two Spotted Spider Mite
Tetranychus urticae Khan, 2015
Other Miner Pests include:
• Leaf miners
• Flea Beetle
• Thrips
• Cabbage Moth
• Turnip Moth
• Aphids

6. MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
• Chemical Management
– Insecticides
– Biopesticides
• Traditional Management
– Organic Soaps
– Use of Ash, Sulphur etc
• Biological Control
– Predators and Parasitoides
• Ecological Management
– Cultural / Agronomic Practices
– Host Plant Resistance
Mostly Recommended

7. Ecological Management of Insect
Pests

8. Red Pumpkin Beetle
Aulacophora foviecollis
• (2)Polyphagous Pest (30-75%)
• Adults and Larvae = make holes
• Early sowing = passes the active beetle stage
• (1)Resistance = high cucurbitacin
• Crop Rotation = any crop other than cucurbits
• Antixenosis = Hairy varieties of cucumber and
melon
1. Dhillon and Wehner, 1991; 2. Khan et al , 2015

9. Cucumber Beetle
Acalymma spp.
• (3)Cucumber, Melon, Squashes, Gourd
• Vector = Bacterial Wilt
• (1)Low Cucurbitacin = least attractive
• (3)Use fabric row covers (remove at flowering)
• Strong spray of water
• Delayed Planting
• (2)Reflecting mulches as compared to black
mulches
1. Metcalf et al, 1982; 2. Caldwell and Clark, 1998; 3. Griffin, 1999

10. Vine Borer
Melitta cucurbitae
• (1)Squashes and Gourds
• Tillage in late winter to expose pupae
• Sanitation = remove vines that are killed
• Early Planting = borers emerge late summer
• (2)Second planting in July will mature after adult
borers have finished laying eggs
• Floating Row Covers
1. Griffin, 1999; 2. Qureshi et al, 2007

11. Two Spotted Spider Mite
Tetranychus urticae
• (1)Melon, cucumber, squashes
• Antibiosis = Cucumbers with High Cucurbitacin
• (2)Sprinkler Irrigation
• (3)Midseason washing = prevent late season
infestation
• Sanitation = Remove weeds
1. Griffin, 1999; 2. Shetlar, 2001; 3. Bethke, 2010

12. Whitefly
Bemisia argentifolii
• Melon, Cucumber, Squash, pumpkin
• Viral Disorders
– Leaf curl/crumple
– Stunting disorder
– Vein yellowing
• Floating row covers
• Trap Crops = Cantaloupe and Cucumber
• Maximize the planting distance
• Sanitation = weeds and residues removed
• Silver mulching repel
Qureshi et al, 2007

13. Squash Bugs
Anasa tristis
• (3)Different varieties of squash (Hubbard, Marrows)
• Place a cardboard as trap
• (4)Tillage after harvesting exposes the bugs
• (2,3)Sanitation = no overwintering sites
• (2)Late Planting = least pest attack Early planting = attract and kill
• (1,4)Trap crops = Melons, cucumbers
• Row Covers delay colonization
1. Bonjour et al, 1990; 2. Bonjour et al, 1993; 3. Griffin, 1999, 4. Arnold 2001

14. TAKE HOME MESSAGE
• Clean Cultivation and Manipulation of Sowing
Time could save your crop.
• If using row covers/mulches, don’t forget to
remove at time of blooming for pollination.
• Ecological Management is the least studied
subject for such important plant family,
further studies are needed.

15. References
1. "What's So Great About Winter Squash?" (PDF). University of the District of Columbia. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
2. Arnold J. (20 September 2001). Scientists identify insect that transmits CYVD. ARS News Service, Agricultural Research
Service, USDA
3. Bethke, J.A., 2010. Insects and Mites. University of California, USA.
4. Bonjour EL, Fargo WS, Rensner PE. 1990. Ovipositional preference of squash bugs (Heteroptera: Coreidae) among cucurbits
in Oklahoma. Journal of Economic Entomology 83:943-947
5. Bonjour EL, Fargo WS, Al-Obaidi AA, Payton ME. 1993. Host effects on reproduction and adult longevity of squash bugs
(Heteroptera: Coreidae). Environmental Entomology 22:1344-1348.
6. Burrows, George E.; Tyrl, Ronald J. (2013).Toxic Plants of North America. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 389–391.
7. Dhillon, N.P.S and Wehner, T.C., 1991. Host plant resistance to insects in cucurbits. Trop. Pest Manag. 37(4): 421-428.
8. Khan, S.A., 2015. Relative infestation of red pumpkin beetle on different cucurbit vegetables. Pak. Entomol., 37(1):45-47.
9. Laila Khan, Maqsood Shah, Amjad Usman, 2015. Host Preference of Red Pumpkin Beetle (Aulacophora faveicollis) Lucas
(Chrysomelidae: Coleoptera) among different Cucurbits. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies ; 3 (2): 100-104
10. Metcalf, R.L., Rhodes, A.M., Ferguson, L. and Lu, P.Y., 1982. Cucurbitacin content and diabroticile feeding upon cucurbita spp.
Environ. Entomol. 11: 931-937
11. Pumpkins, Squash, and Gourds. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
12. Qureshi, M. S.; Midmore, D. J.; Syeda, S. S.; Playford, C. L. (2007). "Floating row covers and pyriproxyfen help control
silverleaf whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) Biotype B (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) in zucchini". Australian Journal of
Entomology 46 (4): 313.
13. R.P. Griffin, 1999. Cucumber, Squash, Melon & Other Cucurbit Insect Pests. Clemson University.
14. Shetlar, D.J., 2001. Spider Mites and their control. Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, USA

16. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
QUESTIONS ARE INVITED