Pest description and crop damage Caterpillars vary from light to dark with three white longitudinal stripes and many black and white tubercles.
Management-chemical control
Frankliniella spp.
Pest description and crop damage Small, slender, quick-moving insects about 0.1 inch long. The insect's economic impact in alfalfa seed production is unknown.
Management-chemical control
Includes
Pacific spider mite (Tetranychus pacificus) Strawberry spider mite (T. turkesani) Twospotted spider mite (T. urticae)
Sitona lineatus
Pest description and crop damage Adults are grayish brown, slender weevils about 0.2 inch long, with a short snout and three parallel lines on the thorax. Adults notch leaf margins. They occasionally defoliate new seedlings, causing serious stand loss.
Management-chemical control
IncludesLygus spp.
Pest description and crop damage Adults are 0.18 inch long and have a light yellow V on the back. Lygus bugs pierce buds and suck sap, injuring both vegetative and reproductive buds. Damage includes blasted buds, blossom drop, and shriveled seed.
Includes several species, especially Melanoplus spp.
Pest description and crop damage Both nymphs and adult grasshoppers can cause plant damage. In addition to foliage injury, feeding on blossoms prevents seed formation.
Pest description and crop damage Adults are small grayish weevils 0.16 inch long. Larvae feed on fibrous roots and chew cavities in main roots but usually do not cause economic damage to alfalfa.
Management-chemical control
Includes
Bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata) Western yellowstriped armyworm (Spodoptera praefica)
