Question

What type of insect pests are found in our crop fields? Name any three of them.

Answer 1

Insect pests are destructive animals that damage crop, livestock, food, etc. They disturb the physiological activity of the plant by feeding on them and also affect agricultural production.

Complete answer:
Pests are harmful organisms or creatures that infect the plants or animals and cause harm to them. Many plants, large animals like rodents, and small animals like insects have been identified as pests. Insect pests are small pests and are large in number. They cause significant damage to the agricultural crop fields. Their remains can also affect the life cycle of a plant and affect its nutrition or reproduction. They can also cause some serious diseases in humans upon their intake through plants. Some of the common examples of these pests are- aphids, mites, bollworms, caterpillars, bugs, grasshoppers, etc.
There are various types of insect pests found in our crop fields. Some of them are-
Biting or Chewing Insect pests- These insects have special parts in their mouth that help them to bite or chew plant parts. The parts are further swallowed by them. The mouthparts found here are the most primitive type and include mandibles and maxillae. They feed on the root, stem, and leaves of the plant thus, damaging the crop. Some common examples of these pest insects are- caterpillars, beetles, grasshopper, locusts, leaf worms, armyworms, termites, etc.

Piercing and sucking Insects pests- These insects have specialized mouthparts that help them to pierce through the tissues of plants and suck the- cell sap or liquid through them. The mouthparts are modified from the labium and called- Proboscis. They majorly affect the vascular tissues of the plants. This results in the wilting, stunting, deformation, or eventually death of the crop plant. Some common examples of these pest insects are- aphids, bugs, spider mites, leafhoppers, etc.

Burrowing insects or internal feeders- These insects have specialized mouthparts that help them to burrow inside the plant parts like- root and stem. Their larvae also have the potential of entering and destroying the- vascular tissues, fruits, or seeds. They grow inside the crop plant and emerge out as adults. Some common examples of these insect pests are- beetles, stem burrowers, moths, borers, weevils, etc.

Note: Insect pests greatly contribute for the losses and lesser production of crop plants. Thus, there is a high need for the maintenance of these insect pests. Insect pest management focuses on the long-term prevention of pests- by various techniques like biological control, resistant varieties, habitat destruction, etc.