Insect Pest of the Week and the Entomologists that Study Them (May 19): Chickpea and lentil pests / featuring Erl Svendsen

This week's Insect of the Week feature crops are chickpea and lentil and Erl Svendsen is our feature 'entomologist'.

Migratory grasshopper (cc-by Joseph Berger, bugwood.org)

Note: 

This year, we're doing things a bit differently for our Insect of the Week. Instead of focussing on a single insect (pest or natural enemy), we're looking at it from a crop perspective. Each week, we'll pick a crop and list the insects that attack it along with additional helpful information. The insect list is based on the information found in the Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada: Identification and Management field guide. The field guide offers information describing lifecycle, damage description, monitoring/scouting strategies, economic thresholds (where available) and control options) for each economic pest.

In addition to an Insect of the Week, we'll also feature one of the entomologists that help support the PPMN, either directly or indirectly.

Insect of the Week (July 03, 2018) - Pea aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

This week's insect of the week is the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum). This long-legged, pear-shaped aphid is 3-4 mm long, light to dark green and each antennal segment is tipped by a black band. It feeds on field peas, alfalfa, broad beans, chickpeas, clover and lentils. Feeding damage can reduce yields due to lower seed formation and seed size. Leaves may turn yellow and overall plant growth can be delayed.

Pea aphids overwinter as eggs on the leaves and stems of perennial legumes (eg. clover or alfalfa crowns). They produce 2-3 generations asexually before winged females migrate to summer host crops where several more generations are produced. Winged sexual forms develop in late summer that mate and females return to winter host crops to lay eggs.

For more information about pea aphids, see our Insect of the Week page!

Pea aphid adult (L) and nymph (R)
©Mike Dolinski, MikeDolinski@hotmail.com