Crops
Jatrophobia brasiliensis
Cassava midge
General
- Tropical insect present in South America and the Caribbean attacking cassava.
- Belongs to the order Diptera and the family Cecidomyia.
- The adult is a small fly.
- The beige colored larva measures about 2.5 mm.
- Observed in the field, cassava is never grown under cover.
- Sensitive botanical family (s)
| Euphorbiaceae |
- Affected production areas :
| Guyana |
- Organs attacked
| Leaves |
Symptoms, damage
- Symptoms :
- Leaf galls on the upper side of the foliage.
- The galls are yellowish-green to red in color, rounded and prominent on the leaves.
- The presence of galls can weaken the plant at the start of cultivation and cause a slight decrease in photosynthesis.
- Damage is usually minimal.
- Signs : Presence of a single larva inside each gall.
- Possible confusion :
Biology
- Development cycle :
- Dispersal : The winged adults allow the dispersal of the pest.
Protection
- The damage is generally minimal and does not require special protection.
- Sanitary picking of contaminated leaves followed by destruction may be advised in the event of heavy infestation.
- As this insect is dependent on cassava, it is likely that crop rotations can limit the incidence of this insect from one year to another.
- Care should also be taken not to plant cassava near a heavily contaminated area.
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