This document discusses four common insects that damage turnip plants: flea beetles, wireworms, cabbage aphids, and root maggots. Flea beetles cause small holes or pits in turnip leaves. Wireworms can kill seedlings and cause reduced plant stands by feeding on stems and roots. Cabbage aphids feed on turnip leaves and can stunt or kill plants in large numbers. Root maggots damage and feed within turnip roots, which can be extensively damaged. The document provides details on the symptoms caused by each insect and their life cycles.

2. Turnip Insects
A
Lecture To ToT trainees ( FFS)
By
Mr. Allah Dad Khan
Provincial Coordinator IPM KPK
MINFAL Pakistan

4. Flea beetles
Phyllotreta spp
Symptoms
• Small holes or pits in leaves that
give the foliage a characteristic
“shothole” appearance; young
plants and seedlings are
particularly susceptible; plant
growth may be reduced; if
damage is severe the plant may
be killed; the pest responsible for
the damage is a small (1.5–3.0
mm) dark colored beetle which
jumps when disturbed; the
beetles are often shiny in
appearance
• Cause
• Insects

5. Wireworms
Aeolus spp.
Anchastus spp.
Melanotus spp.
Limonius spp
Symptoms
• Death of seedlings; reduced
stand; girdled stems and
white heads; wireworm
larvae can be found in soil
when dug round the stem;
larvae are yellow-brown,
thin worms with shiny skin
• Cause
• Insect

6. Cabbage aphid
Brevicoryne brassicaea
Symptoms
• Large populations can cause
stunted growth or even plant
death; insects may be visible
on the plant leaves and are
small, grey-green in color and
soft bodied and are covered
with a white waxy coating;
prefer to feed deep down in
cabbage head and may be
obscured by the leaves
• Cause
• Insect

7. Root maggots
Delia spp.
Symptoms
• Scars and feeding tunnels on
surface of turnip; root damage may
be extensive; larvae are white or
white-yellow in color, reach approx.
1 cm (0.3 in) in length and taper
towards the head; adult insect is a
small fly which resembles a
housefly
• Cause
• Insect
• Comments
• Root maggots will attack all
varieties of crucuferous plants;
insect overwinters as pupae in the
soil