Štetne stenice vrežastih biljaka

Abstract

Plants from the family Cucurbitaceae are attacked by many polyphagous pest insect species, as field and mole crickets, aphids, flea beetles and noctuids. Among mentioned pests, certain species of true bugs, order Hemiptera, can be found on vegetative and generative parts of the named plants. True bugs feed on all above ground plant parts sucking plant juices and causing damage to the fruits that can be in the form of deformation and/or occurrence of smaller or larger necrotic spots. These freckles are the result of nutrition ie. insertion of the stilets into the plant tissue, which affects the market value of the obtained fruits. Among the species most important for cucumber, watermelon, pumpkin and zucchini in our area, the most common are representatives of the family Miridae, genus Lygus sp. The most commonly encountered species are L. rugulipennis Popp. and L. pratensis L. Among the representatives of the family Pentatomidae, the most common are the Green Vegetable Stink Bug Nezara viridula L. and the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Halyomorpha halys Stål, which feed mainly on cucumbers. Symptoms of damage from all true bugs species are similar, from small sting points, which are lighter at the beginning, to later necrotic spots, to the deformation of the fruits damaged during formation, to the smaller or larger necrotic spots seen on the mature fruits. Integrated approach in control of these pests should be applied, with good phytosanitary measures, weed control around the fields, and the like, although protection most often relies on the use of chemical insecticides. In our country, the list of registered pest control chemicals is not long. Beside that, true bugs cause most damage on ripening fruits, making the list of available insecticides even shorter.