**1.3 Hadda beetle (***Epilachna implicate, E. viginitioctopunctata and E. borealis***)**

This is an occasional pest on cucurbit. It is a serious pest of squash, bitter gourd, and pumpkin. Grub only feed on the underside of the leaf, whereas adults may be found to feed on both the leaf surfaces or even on the fruit rind, leaving spiral-shaped scars and deteriorating fruit quality [36]. Both grub and adult feed voraciously by scrapping the chlorophyll of the leaves which cause characteristic skeletonization of leaf lamina and leaving a fine net of veins on leaves. The affected leaves gradually dry and fallen down. The young plants are killed overnight in case of severe infestation. The yellowish-brown coloured adult beetles are globular in shaped and 6–8 mm long, bearing 12–28 black spots on the elytra. The female lays about 300–400 eggs in clusters on the under surface of the leaves. Eggs on hatching turns into yellowish larvae (grub) with branched black spines covering the body. Full-grown larvae about 7-9 cm long pupate below the leaf or at the base of the stems. The pupa is yellow in colour, and lacks spines and hangs from the leaf. The development period comprises of 4–6 weeks under optimal conditions. Adults make semicircular cuts in rows, while Scrapping of the epidermis indicates the feeding manner of the grubs. Young plants can be totally destroyed, but older plants can tolerate considerable leaf damage. Overwintering sites for adults are under loose tree bark or under leaf litter near the edge of fields.

#### *1.3.1 Management*
