Classifications of Insect Pests

Back to: Pre Vocational Studies Primary 5

Welcome to class!

Hello, my bright student! It’s great to have you back for another important lesson. Today, we’re going to learn how to categorize or group insect pests. This is called “classifying insect pests.” Just like we classify animals into groups like mammals, birds, and reptiles, we can also classify insect pests based on different characteristics. This helps us understand them better and find effective ways to control them. Let’s begin!

Classifications of Insect Pests

There are several ways to classify insect pests, but we’ll focus on two main methods:

1. Classification Based on Feeding Habits (How They Eat):

This is a very useful way to classify insect pests because it tells us how they damage crops.

• Chewing Insects: These insects have strong jaws that they use to chew on plant parts like leaves, stems, roots, and fruits. They create holes, notches, or completely consume plant tissues.
  • Examples: Grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles (like Colorado potato beetle), and locusts. Imagine a grasshopper eating holes in a leaf or a caterpillar chewing on a fruit.
• Sucking Insects: These insects have piercing mouthparts that they use to suck sap from plants. This weakens the plants and can also transmit diseases.
  • Examples: Aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, and leafhoppers. Imagine a mosquito sucking blood – these insects do something similar to plants.
• Boring Insects: These insects bore into plant parts like stems, fruits, or seeds. They create tunnels inside the plant, disrupting the flow of nutrients and water.
  • Examples: Stem borers (like maize stem borer), fruit flies, and weevils (like maize weevil that attacks stored grains). Imagine a worm tunneling through an apple.

2. Classification Based on the Part of the Plant They Attack:

This classification helps farmers to identify the pest based on the damage they see on their crops.

• Root Feeders: These insects attack the roots of plants, damaging the root system and affecting the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients.
  • Examples: Rootworms and some types of beetle larvae.
• Stem Borers: As mentioned earlier, these insects bore into the stems of plants, weakening them and disrupting the flow of nutrients.
  • Examples: Maize stem borer and sugarcane borer.
• Foliage Feeders: These insects feed on the leaves of plants, reducing their ability to photosynthesize.
  • Examples: Caterpillars, grasshoppers, and leaf beetles.
• Fruit Feeders: These insects attack the fruits of plants, damaging them and making them unmarketable.
  • Examples: Fruit flies and some types of caterpillars.
• Seed Feeders: These insects attack seeds, either in the field or in storage, reducing their viability and quality.
  • Examples: Weevils and grain moths.

Let’s use an example. Imagine a maize farm. You might find:

• Maize Stem Borer: This is a boring insect that attacks the stem of the maize plant.
• Grasshoppers: These are chewing insects that eat the leaves of the maize plant.
• Aphids: These are sucking insects that suck sap from the maize leaves.
• Maize Weevil: This is a boring insect that attacks the maize kernels after harvest, during storage.

So, to summarize, insect pests can be classified based on their feeding habits (chewing, sucking, or boring) or based on the part of the plant they attack (roots, stems, leaves, fruits, or seeds).

Evaluation 

1. Can you name one example of a chewing insect pest? 
2. Can you name one example of a sucking insect pest? 
3. Can you name one example of an insect pest that attacks fruits? 

Excellent! You’re doing a fantastic job! I’m so proud of your learning. 

We have come to the end of today’s class.

In the next class, we shall be talking about the damages caused by pests.

In case you require further assistance or have any questions, feel free to ask in the comment section below, and trust us to respond as soon as possible. See you in the next class!

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