E-88
COMMON VEGETABLE INSECTS
Rick Foster, Department of Entomology, Purdue University
1. Imported cabbageworm, Pieris rapae (L). This caterpillar
feeds on cabbage and other cole crops. The cabbageworm is
present throughout the growing season, beginning early in the
spring. The adult cabbageworm is a common white butterfly.
2. Flea beetles. There are a number of different species of flea
beetles that feed on a wide variety of vegetable crops. Gener-
ally, flea beetles feed by chewing many small holes in the leaves.
Unless the vegetable is one in which the leaves are eaten, you
can tolerate a lot of feeding damage from flea beetles after the
plants have passed the seedling stage. The corn flea beetle
damages corn by scraping green tissue from the leaves and can
also transmit a bacterium that causes Stewart’s bacterial wilt of
corn. Plant sweet corn varieties that are resistant to Stewart’s
wilt when possible.
3. Bean leaf beetle, Ceratoma trifurcata (Forster). Both the
larvae and adults of this insect feed on beans. The larvae feed
on roots, nodules, and below ground stems. The beetles feed on
the stems of seedling plants and eat large holes in the leaves.
Damage is most noticeable when the plants are small. The
beetles vary greatly in color and markings, but are usually
reddish or yellowish with black spots on the wing covers. They
can also feed on pods.
4. Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say).
Both adults and larvae of the Colorado potato beetle feed on
leaves of potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant. The adults will
begin feeding when plants first emerge in the spring. Damage
can be very severe if the potato beetles are not controlled.
Potato beetles are resistant to many insecticides, so cultural
control methods should be used in addition to pesticides.
5. Tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta (L). Hornworms are very
large caterpillars, up to 4 inches long. Tobacco and tomato
hornworms feed on the leaves of tomato and pepper during late
summer, and will feed on the fruit occasionally. The adult stage
is a large hawk moth that flies at night. Hornworms can be
handpicked or controlled with insecticides, especially when
small. They are also attacked by parasites, which produce white
cocoons on the backs of the hornworms.
6. Aphids. Almost all vegetable crops are attacked by one or more
species of aphids. Aphids use their sucking mouthparts to
remove plant juices from the leaves. Aphids may be winged or
wingless and, during most of the year, only females are present.
These females give birth to live young, which can be producing
young of their own within a week. Aphids usually occur in
colonies on the underside of leaves. Aphids are controlled by
several natural enemies.
7. Striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum (F). This beetle
will feed on the stems and leaves of cucumber, melons, squash,
and pumpkins. The feeding damage can be serious, especially
when the plants are small. The beetle is also capable of
transmitting a bacterium that causes the disease, bacterial wilt
of cucurbits. Cucumbers and muskmelons are particularly sus-
ceptible to this disease. Watermelons, pumpkins, and squash
are rarely affected. Once a cucumber or muskmelon plant is
infected with the disease, the plant will die. The only way to
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prevent the disease is by controlling the beetle before it trans-
mits the bacterium.
8. Squash bug, Anasa tristis (DeGeer). Squash bug adults and
nymphs feed in colonies on squash and pumpkins. They suck
plant juices from the stems and leaves, causing the leaves to wilt
and die. More importantly, in the fall, they can feed on the green
fruit before they ripen, causing the fruit to collapse. Squash bugs
are difficult to kill with insecticides, especially as they get larger.
9. Squash vine borer, Melittia cucurbitae (Harris). The larva
feeds within the vines of squash and pumpkins. It enters the
stem near the ground in early summer and cause the vines to wilt
and die. The damage looks similar to bacterial wilt, but has a
different cause. Damage is usually worse in areas where squash
and pumpkins are grown year after year. Squash varieties with
large hollow stems, such as blue Hubbard, are most susceptible
to squash vine borer damage.
10. European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner). The corn
borer is a pest of a number of vegetable crops, including sweet
corn, snap bean, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes. It prefers
corn, so if there is a lot of green field corn around, most of the
moths will lay their eggs there. Once the field corn starts to dry
down in the late summer, vegetable crops become more attrac-
tive and damage becomes more serious. Corn borer popula-
tions are highly variable, so blacklight or pheromone traps
should be used to monitor their densities.
11. Corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). The corn earworm,
also known as the tomato fruitworm, can be a pest of sweet corn,
tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and other crops. There are two
generations, with the second, which comes out in July and
August, being the most important. Sweet corn that reaches
maturity in late Autust or September will almost always be
severely attacked by corn earworm. Adults can be blown in from
the Gulf Coast when tropical storms hit that area. Growers
should monitor adult activity with pheromone traps to determine
the need for treatment.
Further Information:
The information and color illustrations presented here are designed
to help you correctly identify some of the more common insects that
attack vegetables. Further information on these and other insect
pests are available in ID-56 “Midwest Vegetable Production Guide
for Commercial Growers 2001” and <http://www.entm.purdue.edu/
Entomology/ext/targets/ID/index.htm>.
Copies of this publication, revised yearly, and other related materials
are available through the Agricultural Communication Media
Distribution Center, Phone: 765-494-6794, Fax: 765-496-1540, E-
mail: Media.Order@ces.purdue.edu
REVISED 3/2001
 W. Cranshaw
COMMON VEGETABLE INSECTS

W. Cranshaw

J. Obermeyer
R. Foster
1. Imported cabbage worm and damage 2. Flea beetle damage on eggplant 3. Bean leaf beetle
and damage
J. Obermeyer

W. Cranshaw

W. Cranshaw

C. Werty
4. Colorado potato beetle adult and larva 5. Tobacco hornworm 6. Aphids

W. Cranshaw
R. Kriner

R. Latin
A. York

7. Striped cucumber beetle, spotted cucumber beetle and bacterial wilt 8. Squash bugs
Purdue University

W. Cranshaw
R. Foster

B. Flood

9. Squash vine borer and damage 10. European Corn Borer 11. Corn earworm

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