Napa cabbage is being fed on by larvae of both the yellow margined leaf beetle (YMLB, Microtheca ochroloma) and vegetable weevil (Listroderes difficilis).
This Napa cabbage is being fed on by larvae of both the yellow margined leaf beetle (YMLB, Microtheca ochroloma) and vegetable weevil (Listroderes difficilis). YMLB can be a significant pest for organic production, especially turnips and Napa cabbage, which they prefer. In fact, this preference can be leveraged to use either of these two as a ‘trap crop’ that lures the beetle away from other crops, such as cabbage or mustard. Read more on vegetable weevil here and YMLB here.
A close-up view of a larval vegetable weevil on the underside of a Napa cabbage leaf through a 10X hand lens
Tom Bilbo, ©2023, Clemson Extension
Underside of a Napa cabbage leaf with two larval stage yellow margined leaf beetles (YMLB, Microtheca ochroloma) and one larval vegetable weevil (Listroderes difficilis). The foliar feeding damage was caused by both insect species. YMLB can be a significant pest for organic production, especially turnips and Napa cabbage, which they prefer. In fact, this preference can be leveraged to use either of these two as a ‘trap crop’ that lures the beetle away from other crops such as cabbage or mustard.
Tom Bilbo, ©2023, Clemson Extension
