Epilachna pavonia

Madagascan ladybug

General

• The Madagascan ladybird can often be confused with its "predatory" cousins. However, this phytophagous species causes a lot of damage mainly on nightshades and can be found on cucurbits.
• Observed in the open field as well as under shelters.

• Sensitive botanical family (s)

• Affected production areas :

• Organs attacked

Symptoms, damage

• Symptoms : 
  • Leaves eaten by adults and larvae that feed on the blade.
  • Formation of more or less large holes on the affected leaves.

• Signs : Presence of adult insects and larvae on plants and in the crop.

• Possible confusion : E. pavonia maybe mistaken for a predatory ladybird. The damage s can be likened to those of beetles or beetles 

Biology

• Development cycle :
  • Ladybug eggs are clustered under the leaf blades and yellow-orange in color
  • 4 aerial larval stages on the crop's foliage
  • The duration of the larva ==> adult cycle is on average 4 weeks
  • Adults and larvae feeding on the foliage of nightshades and cucurbits. The adult can reach a size of 10mm. Ladybug of slightly ashy red color. The larva is blackish and very thorny (Figure 3). 

Protection

• Weed the crop and its surroundings.
• Avoid proximity of the crop to other wild nightshades that may harbor the pest (morel, wild eggplant, etc.)
• Alternating botanical families in the rotation scheme breaks the pest cycle
• Produce the plants in an nursery insect-proof (instead of sowing in the open field) and check their sanitary quality before and during their introduction into the crop or shelter.
• Check the sanitary quality of the plants before and during their introduction into the crop or shelter.
• Install  canvases  insect-proof in the nursery, and at the openings of shelters when weather conditions allow.
• Reason the  chemical protection * which is possible for this use. Remember to respect the conditions of use of phytosanitary products.

(*) Ladybugs are very sensitive to phytosanitary practices. Positioning a chemical control treatment can therefore have a significant impact on populations of predatory ladybirds useful for the biological regulation of crops. This solution should only be considered as a last resort, prioritizing the means of prevention and prophylaxis for the management of the pest.