Crops
Mole crickets
( mole crickets )
General
- Insects belonging to the Gryllotalpid family.
- Several species are rife with vegetables in the DROM-COM.
- Observed in the open field and under shelters.
- Sensitive botanical family (s) * :
All botanical families are susceptible to the ravages of the mole cricket.
- Affected production areas :
| Guyana |
Guadeloupe and Martinique |
||
| Neocurtilla hexadactyla | |||
| Scapteriscus borelii | |||
| Scapteriscus didactylus | |||
| Scapteriscus | |||
- Organs attacked
| Collar | Roots |
Symptoms, damage
- Symptoms :
- Wilting and collapse of plants leading to their death.
- Section of the stems at ground level, roots of young plants more or less devoured.
- Signs : Observation of wilted seedlings shortly after transplanting in the field
- Possible confusion : Locusts and grasshoppers can cause the same type of symptom, but they tend to attack the stems.
Biology
- Development cycle :
Mainly active at night, mole crickets are rarely encountered and their damage is especially evident.
They dig galleries and move in the ground cutting the roots present in their path. The mole crickets also consume the larvae of other insects present in the soil. Occasionally they can fly to colonize the surrounding plots.
Protection
- To limit damage, do not transplant plants that are too young
- The plowing plots limit populations courtières present in the soil
- When transplanting, you can also surround the seedling with a water bottle cut in half buried halfway up so the pest is blocked and must bypass the obstacle without causing damage to the plant. (Achievable on a small scale).
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