Pest is defined as only living organism, plant or animal which can cause damage to our cultivated crop plant, farm animal and human. Examples of common pest include insect like grasshoppers and beetles, mammals such as rats and monkey and bird such as weaver bird.
Table of Contents
CLASSIFICATION OF INSECT PESTS ACCORDING TO THEIR FEEDING HABIT
According to their mode of feeding insect pest are classified into three groups. These are:
- Biting and chewing insect pests
- Piercing and sucking insect pests
- Boring insect pests
BITTING AND CHEWING INSECT PESTS
Insect pests in this group have mouth parts which are specially made for biting and chewing plat. The mouth parts of insect in this group consist of a pair of very hard biting jaws called mandibles, a second pair of jaw called maxillae, flat upper lip called the labrum and lower lip known as librum. The mandibles are sued to bite off and chew parts of the crop while maxillae are used to bite off and chew parts of the crops into the mouth. Examples of biting and sucking insects pests are crickets, grasshoppers, beetle, termites, army worm, mantils.
PIERCING AND SUCKING INSECT PESTS
The insects in this group have mouth part that are shaped like injection needles, called probaxix, hena, their mouth parts are adapted to pierce into plant parts and sucking the sap and juice of plant. Example of piercing and sucking insects include aphids, cotton stainer, mealy buds, white flies and capsids.
BORING INSECTS
These are insects that bore hole into plats tissues and seeds. Boring insects are also called burrowing insects. Examples of boring insects are beans beetles, weevils such as rice and maize weevil.
CLASSIFICATION OF INSECT BASED ON THEIR LOCATION
Based on location, insect pest are classified into two namely:
- Field insect pests
- Storage insect pests
- FIELD INSECT PEST: These are insects that attack crop plant on the field that is before harvesting important field pest include:
- Stem borers
- Fruit and seeders: Examples are beetle fruit, flies and fruit piercing mouth.
iii. Root feeders: Examples are yam beetles.
- STORRAGE INSECT PESTS: This group of insect attack harvested products in store. Examples include bean beetle, weevil such as rice and maize weevils.
See also:
CHARACTERISTICS OF FARM ANIMAL
CLASSIFICATION OF CROP ACCORDING TO THEIR USES