Watermelon Pests

Pests of National Significance

Insect and mite pests

• Red pumpkin beetle: Raphidopalpa foveicollis Lucas (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
• Fruit fly: Bactrocera cucurbitae Coquillett (Diptera: Tephritidae)
• Thrips: Thrips tabaci Linderman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)
• Whitefly: Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)
• Aphid: Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
• Leaf eating caterpillar: Diaphania indica Saunders (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
• Serpentine leaf miner: Liriomyza trifolii Burgess (Diptera: Agromyzidae)
• Red spider mite: Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acarina: Tetranychidae)

Diseases

• Downy mildew: Pseudoperonospora cubensis Berkeley & Curtis
• Powdery mildew: Erysiphe cichoracearum DC, Sphaerotheca fuliginea (Schltdl.) Pollacci)
• Anthracnose: Colletotrichum orbiculare Berk. & Mont. Arx, & C. lagenarium Pass. Ell. & Halst
• Alternaria leaf spot: Alternaria cucumerina Elliot
• Fusarium wilt: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. niveum (E.F. Sm.) W.C. Snyder & H.N. Hans
• Bud necrosis diseases: Tomato spotted wilt virus (Tospo virus)
• Cucumber mosaic disease: Cucumber mosaic virus

Nematode

• Root - knot nematode: Meloidogyne sp.

Weeds

Broad leaf

• Lamb’s quarter: Chenopodium album L. (Chenopodiaceae)
• Scarlet pimpernel: Anagallis arvensis (Primulaceae)
• Sweet clover: Melilotus indica L. (Fabaceae)
• Swine cress: Coronopus didymus L. Sm. (Brassicaceae)
• Fine leaf fumitory: Fumaria parviflora Lam. (Papaveraceae)
• Corn spurry: Spergula arvensis L. (Caryophyllaceae)
• Pigweed: Amaranthus viridis Hook (Amranthaceae)
• Black nightshade: Solanum nigrum L. (Solanaceae)
• Common purselane: Portulaca oleracea L. (Portulacaceae)
• False amaranth: Digera arvensis Forssk. (Amaranthaceae)
• Carrot grass: Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae)

Grasses

• Blue grass: Poa annua L. (Poaceae)
• Rabbit/crow foot grass: Dactyloctenium aegyptium L. Willd. (Poaceae)
• Crab grass: Digitaria sanguinalis L. Willd (Poaceae)

Sedges

• Purple nut sedge: Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae)

IPM for Watermelon

To know the IPM practices for Watermelon, click here.

Source: NIPHM and Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage