The most important asparagus pests: Learn how to eliminate them

Hello to all agrohuerters! In today’s article we are going to grab our magnifying glasses to learn how to identify the most important asparagus pests. Once identified we can act against them and eliminate them.

Before starting with the pests, I wanted to make a small introduction to this crop. Asparagus, scientifically known as Asparagus officinalis, is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its light foliage draws our attention. It has been consumed for hundreds and hundreds of years. In addition, the production of this crop can last up to 8 or 10 years. The part that we consume is called “shoots”.

Now, we are ready to start!

common asparagus beetle

The common asparagus beetle, known in the scientific world as Crioceris asparagi, is one of the most important pests of asparagus.

It can cause defoliation of the plant, reducing its vigor, especially during the first year of planting. The bites of these insects cause the tips of the shoots to turn brown.

Adults

To identify them, it is simple: the adults are black with cream-colored spots on the wings. In addition, his wings also have orange edges. They measure about half a centimeter.

Here is a photo of this insect:

larvae

Moreover, the larvae of these insects are variable in color. Sometimes they have a translucent grayish color. His head is black. They are more voracious than adults and cause more damage.

In addition, the larvae when eating excrete a black liquid product of their digestion that can contaminate our asparagus.

In the following image you can see a larva of these beetles:

Eggs

The eggs are oval greenish-brown. The laying of eggs of this species is very peculiar since they adhere very strongly to the shoots. Therefore, it is difficult to remove them.

When it comes to controlling the pest, it is recommended to treat as soon as 2% of the plants have the presence of these eggs.

Orange beetle with black dots: Crioceris duodecimpunctata

However, we must not confuse the above beetle with another similar one called Crioceris duodecimpunctata. In this case, the adults are orange with 12 black dots. This species only consumes the fruits (not usable in this crop).

Asparagus fly: Platyparea poeciloptera

The asparagus fly is an insect of the Diptera order. From April or May we can already observe the presence of adults of Platyparea poeciloptera. He especially likes hot days.

This insect lays its eggs on the stems and when the larvae develop (2 to 10 days after laying the egg), they will create galleries that will cause the plant to dry out in a few days.

I leave you, then, a photo of this fly. Their wings especially catch my attention:

Asparagus aphid: Brachycorynella asparagi

We have already seen in other articles on crop pests and diseases how aphids are present in the vast majority. Therefore, in asparagus we can also find these insects. Specifically, there is a species of aphid characteristic of asparagus called Brachycorynella asparagi.

The body of this aphid is green and elongated. Also, if we are good observers we can see how it is covered by a grayish dust. Their antennae are not too long.

The first aphids of this species usually appear in June. They are usually located in the lower parts of the plant. After a while, the colonies of aphids increase, forming winged aphids that will go to the upper areas of the plant (October). They can produce multiple generations a year.

The main damage they cause is: the extraction of sap by biting the plant, production of molasses (sugary liquid excreted by aphids) or yellowing of the crop.

In addition, here is a link to an article where we explain the best home methods to eliminate aphids from our crops: « Aphid control: ecological remedies to eliminate aphids «.

Other asparagus pests

We have already seen which are the most important pests of the asparagus crop. However, to finish the article, I would also like to mention another type of asparagus pest that is less frequent than the previous ones:

Ophiomyia simplex

Ophiomyia simplex is a species of black fly that is characterized by making small galleries in asparagus. In addition, this species is dangerous because it can be a vector of fungi. For example, it can transmit to the plant the species of fungus known as: Fusarium oxysporum and or Fusarium proliferatum.

Parahypopta caestrum

This species of lepidoptera appears from the end of May to July and lays its eggs on the stems of asparagus. Special attention should be paid to the larvae of this insect as it can attack the underground part of the plant such as the roots.

Apart from all these asparagus pests, asparagus can also be attacked by various diseases. Later we will do a specific article on these diseases.

If you want to learn how to grow asparagus, do not miss the following article: « How to grow asparagus in the garden «.

References

• Japan, J. (1986). Green asparagus cultivation. Ministry of agriculture, fishing and food.
• Board of Andalusia. (2002). Diagnosis of the asparagus sector in Jaén.
• Azcárate, I. Agricultural and Forest Plagues of Spain. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
• Schmidt MH, Lauer A, Purtauf T, Thies C, Schaefer M, Tscharntke T (2003). Relative importance of predators and parasitoids for cereal aphid control. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 270, 1905–1909.

This is all for today agrohuerters! I hope you have enjoyed the article on asparagus pests. See you in the next article!

Have a nice day