Turnip sawfly (Athalia rosae) – pest management

turnip sawfly pest management

The turnip sawfly, Athalia rosae, is a species recorded in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America.

Description. The turnip sawfly adult has a body that is 5.2-9 mm long, with a blackhead, reddish thorax, reddish-yellow pronotum, and yellow scutellum. The larva has many legs, and when fully developed it has a body that is 15-18 mm long, and colored gray. Laterally and ventrally, it has a gray-green color.

Biology and ecology. It produces two generations a year and overwinters in the soil, like a fully developed larva, sheltered in a cocoon of silk threads. In spring, the larvae pupate, and after a few days of feeding, they mate and lay eggs. With the ovipositor, the female separates the two epidermises from the edge of the leaf and lays an egg in the created cavity space. After 1-2 weeks, the newborn larvae appear and feed on the lower epidermis and the mesophyll of the leaflets

Attacked plants and damages. An oligophagous species, it attacks cultivated cruciferous plants (rapeseed, mustard, horseradish, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, radishes) and spontaneous ones. The larvae gnaw the lower epidermis and the mesophyll of the leaves. In case of strong attacks, the plants dry out.

Control. To limit the damage done by larvae, it is recommended to destroy spontaneous cruciferous plants (because they are alternative hosts of this pest), to plow harvest rapeseed or cruciferous vegetables (to remove larvae from the soil), and to crop rotation.

Recommended products

Read carefully and follow the instructions on the label of each product
×

We help you
to take care of your plants

If you haven't yet found solutions in our articles or previous discussions, start a new discussion and our experts will help you.

New discussion about

Turnip sawfly (Athalia rosae) – pest management
Turnip sawfly (Athalia rosae) – pest management

Your information:

Your name must contain a maximum of 30 characters. If you would like to pass on the details of the problem you are facing, please complete the other fields.

The maximum document size is 59 MB.

Add
It helps if you attach some Images or Clips maximumm 15 sec


Want to know more?

Our specialists participate in the discussions of the armuro community with useful information and solutions.
If you want, you can start a discussion about the problem you are facing.
Read the discussions