Description:

• Generally, the peak activity of the pest occurs in the months of April to June.
• The adult beetle has an orange to red-colored body with black dots.

Damage Symptoms :

• Both grubs and beetles are damaging.
• Grubs feed on underground plant parts.
• The beetles cause holes in the cucumber leaves and stems.
• Beetles damage cotyledons, flowers, and tender leaves.
• Feeding results in rotting and withering of leaves and stems.
• In severe cases of infestation, the seedlings die, and sometimes reseeding is required.

Preventive Measures:

• Practice deep ploughing to kill the grubs in the soil.

Control Measures:

• Spray carbaryl at 0.1% or malathion at 0.05%.