Tomato Leafminer (Tutaabsoluta) Lepidoptera

Usually only a single egg is laid, mainly on the underside of leaves, but also on other parts of the plant. After hatching, thelarvae penetrate leaves, stems or fruits and do extensive damage. Size of larvae, depending on stage, is 1 to 7mm. The pupae, with a length of 5-6mm, changing from greenish to brown develop in the soil or dead plant material. Adults are 6–7 mm in length, silverish/greyish with black spots on front wings. They are active during the night. Life cycle is 40-45 days.

Leaf Miners (Lyriomyza Sativa) Diptera

The head, legs and sides of the body of the insect are yellow in colour. This varies per species. The size of the insect is about 2mm (with wings). Eggs are laid inside the leaf, top or underside of the leaf. Larvae develop at temperatures under 30⁰C (higher temperatures gives high mortality), grow out to 3mm and tunnel in the plant under the skin of leaves, stems and fruits. Pupae drop on the soil for development and change from clear yellowish/whitish to brown and are up to 2mm in size. Life cycle is upto 3 weeks.

Flee Beetles (Alticini, Monolepta, others) Coleoptera

Very small white eggs are laid on or in soil cracks around the base of plants. The eggs hatch in about one week, small white larvae emerge and feed on plant roots for approximately 2-3 weeks. Pupae usually remain in the soil for 7-9 days until adults emerge. Black shiny adult beetles (1-2mm) chew small holes in leaves, giving them a sieve-like appearance. It is mainly a pest in young plants.

Aphids spp. Homoptera

Aphids are about 2 to 3 mm soft, light coloured insects. They give birth to live young that grow by changing skin 4 times. Many can be seen together feeding on soft parts of the plants, sucking fluid. This causes deformation and stunted growth. Secondarily, honey dew grows on the excrements of the aphids which attract ants. Presence of ant often indicates aphids. Aphids transmit virus.

Fruit Borer (Helicoverpaamigera (Heliothis))

Adults’ wings span 3 to 4.5 cm. Eggs are laid singly or in clusters in any part of the plant. Larvae grow to more than 4 cm. In the finalstage larvae go into soil to pupate. The pupa is dark golden brown 1.5-2 cm. Life cycle is 30 days.

Beet Armyworm (Spodoptera exigua) Lepidoptera, Noctuideae

In Solonaceae. The insect lays clusters of 50 to 150 eggs per mass, usually on the lower surface of the leaf and often near blossoms and tip of the branch. Larvae vary in colour, getting darker towards maturity. They grow up to 3 cms in size. Adults are 25-30mm. Lifecycle is less than a month.

Cutworms (Agrotisipsilon) Lepidoptora Nocturnal

Eggs are laid mostly singly (but upto 30 together) in the lower part of the plants. Larvae, in 6 to 7 stages, grows out to 5 cm, colour varies across species. Pupa is 2–2.5 cm and brown, darker towards the end of the period. Adults have a wingspan of 4 – 5 cm, colour varies.
There are more than a hundred species (A.ipsilon most common). They cut young plants at night just above or onsoil level. Some species feed on leaves or are borers.

(Tomato) Hornworms(Manduca spp.) Lepidoptera, Nocturnal

The adult night moth has a wingspan of more than 10cm and has 4 or 5 orange/yellow spots on either side of the back. Single eggs are laid, 1mm diameter and yellow/green in color. Larvae may grow out to 10cm. In the last segment, they have a spine or horn protruding. The pupa is in leaf litter or in the soil and is 4 to 6 cm. Life cycle is 30 – 35 days at temperatures of about 25⁰C.

White Fly

White fly (Most common Bemisiatabaci, much less Trialeurodus and Aleurotrachelus) Hemiptera.
These are 1.5 - 2 mm white winged insects with yellowish body, feeding on the underside of the leaves. The damaging species in Solonacaea is the one that has the wings together without gap between the wings. They fly up quickly when disturbed. After eggs hatch several nymph stages follow, the last stage has long tentacles. Insect transmit virus.

Western Flower Thrips (Frankliniela Occidentalis)

Adult is 1 – 2 mm, yellowish to brown in color and lives up to 30 days. Whole life cycle is about 20 days though at higher temperatures it reduces to two weeks. One stage of nymph develops in soil. Eggs are laid in the leaf, perforated by the female adult.

Spider Mite (two spotted) Tetranychusurticae

Adults are greenish-yellow, sometimes brown-orange. Size of adult is 0.5 mm. The adult female lives for 2 to 4 weeks, laying hundreds of eggs.

Grass Hopper (Atractomorpha) Orthoptera

They have a lifecycle of upto five months with 5 stages of larvae. Adults gnaw all plant parts, the larvae may eat roots.