Thrips

Tomato/Potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli) is a devastating pest of potato and tomato crops. A sucking pest whose feeding on foliage causes yellowing, purpling and cupping of leaves, stunting of plants and reduces yields. The pysllid can also transmit Liberibactor, a bacterium like organism that affects the internal vascular transport system of plants. This negatively disrupts potato tuber quality often resulting in the “zebra chip” effect in processing potatoes.

Potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella) is an issue for potato growers throughout New Zealand. The larvae can mine leaves but the major challenge is in the dry season when the soil cracks and adults can directly access and lay eggs on the tubers. The larvae then burrow into the tubers rendering them unmarketable and causing rots in storage.

Mealybugs are significant pests of grapes and apples in New Zealand. Controlling mealybugs in grapes is very important as they transmit Grape Leaf Roll Virus (GLRV3). Mealybugs are sap sucking hidden pests that prefer sheltered and protected sites on plants. Often the first indication of their presence is sooty mould which grows on the honeydew produced from mealybug feeding.