Classification of Insect Pests Based on Mouth Parts

(a) Piercing and Sucking Insect Pests:

These are insects with a pointed mouth called proboscis or rostrum which is adapted for piercing plant tissues and sucking out the contents. They usually damage the crops that secrete liquid materials. Examples of these insect pests are aphids, whiteflies, butterflies, cotton stainers, mealy bugs, mites, capsids, etc.

These insect pests destroy crop plants in the following ways;