ORNAMENTAL PLANTS :: PEST :: SUNFLOWER LACE WING BUG

3. Sunflower lace wing bug: Cadmilos retiarius ( Tingidae: Hemiptera)

Host range: Sunflower, gaillardia, chrysanthemum, marigold, vernonia, Argemone mexicana
Damage symptoms :   Nymphs and adults suck plant sap and the infested leaves turn yellowish brown and finally dry up.
Bionomics :  Small bug, with transparent shiny reticulate wings and black body. Adult lays eggs mainly on the upper surface of leaves and are inserted slantingly into the plant tissue leaving the opercula exposed which appear like white or brown dots. Eggs hatch in 5-7 days and nymphal period is 2-3 weeks.
Management : Conserve egg parasitoid Trichogramma sp, and nymphal,adult  parasitic mite Leptus sp
Spray malathion 50 EC 500 ml in 500 L of water/ha.