IDENTIFICATION AND

MANAGSMENT OF PESTS
OF IMPORTANT FRUIT
CROPS

CH. RAJA GOUD

MANGO
 Insect pests of Mango
Based on plant part effected

All parts leaves, Foliage feeders Gall midges Branches & Trunk
inflorescence flower
shoots, fruits and bark,
•Shoot borer •Leaf galls •Stem borer
•Leaf & Shoot webber •Flower galls •Bark eating caterpillar
•Mango hoppers •Leaf miner
•Shoot borer
•Leaf feeding insect
•Tea-mosquito bug
•Leaf cutting weevil
•Myllocerus weevil
•Flea Weevil
•Leaf eating caterpillar
•Thrips
•Red tree ant
 Mango Hoppers / Idiocerine hoppers
Amritodus atkinsoni Lethierry
Ideoscopus cylpealis Lethierry
Ideoscopus niveosparsus Lethierry
Cicadellidae/Homoptera

Adult hoppers on leaves – Inset : Nymph

Adult hoppers on tree trunk
• Adults are wedge shaped
greyish brown in colour
 •Nymphs and adults
suck the sap from
inflorescence, tender
shoots, flowers and
trunk region

Egg laying in Rachis

Sooty molds on leaves •Females make
and inflorescence
ovipositional
punctures

•Honey dew
Shiny leaves due to honey dew deposition
•BANESHAN, CHINNARASAM, BANGALORA - RES.
•GADDEMAR, RUMANI – MOD. RES
•HIMAYUDDIN – SUS.
•NEELAM, MULGOA, SINDURA – HIGHLY SUS.

(RES = LESS OF N, MORE OF P, K, Ca)

 MANAGEMENT
ETL = 2 adults / panicle

Endosulfan, Monocrotophos, Chlorphyriphos : 2 ml/ lit

Quinalphos, Acephate, Methyl demeton : 1 g/lit
Sulphur to be added to avoid mites

3 – 4 sprayings at
Bud swelling
Flowering twice at 15-20 D interval
After fruiting
I I H R (3 SPRAYS)
• I SPRAY – IMIDACLOPRID/ LAMBDA CYHALOTHRIN/
MONOCROTOPHOS/ AZADIRACHTIN
(AVOID AT PEAK BLOOM)
• II SPRAY
• III SPRAY
NEW MOLECULES:
1. DIFENTHIOUREA – 1 g/ lt
2. BUPROFEZIN – 1 g
 SHOOT AND LEAF WEBBER
Orthaga exvinacae Walker

Pyralidae / Lepidoptera

 Adults are greyish, forewings

dark greyish with dark patches,
hind wings light greyish
 Larvae pale green with dark Nest of dried leaves made by Orthaga
bands
 Initial instars scrape,
chlorophyll content of leaves
 Later instars webs leaves and
feed on chlorophyll content

Inflorescence entangled in leaf web

 MANAGEMENT

Pruning & burning

3 sprayings at fortnightly intervals of Carbaryl 0.2%,
Monocrotophos – 2 ml / lit
Quinalphos - 1 ml / lit of water from last week of June
 SHOOT BORER
Chlumetia transversa Walker
Noctuidae
Lepidoptera

 Adults medium sized,

forewings dark grey with
wavy markings, Hind
Adult wings are fuscous
 Larva initially white later
turn to pinkish in colour
with dirty white spots
Pupa
 Larvae bore into tender
and freshly emerged
shoots – die – does not
flower subsequently
Chlumetia transversa damage

MANAGEMENT

※Collection& destruction
※Phosphamidon – 1 ml/lit
※Endosulfan – 2 ml / lit
※Fenitrothion – 1 ml / lit
※Quinalphos – 1 ml/ lit
※Carbaryl – 0.2%

Tunnelled shoot
with caterpillar
inside
 SCALES
Aspidiotus destructor Signoret
Diaspididae / Homoptera

Infestation more on grafted seedlings

Adult female, bright yellow, circular
Male smaller, reddish on maturity
develops wings
Females and nymphs suck sap –
adversely effects fruitset

 Dimethioate – 2 ml /lit
 Monocrotophos – 2 ml/lit
 Phosphamidon – 1 ml/lit

Scales on leaves
 LEAF CUTTING WEEVIL
Deporaus marginatus Pascal
Curculionidae / Coleoptera

 Adult beetle reddish brown

with yellowish abdomen.
 Grubs root feeders.
Adult
 Scissor cuts on freshly
emerged leaves.
 defoliation affects growth
of plant.
 Dimethoate 2ml/lit of water.
 Quinalphos 1 ml/lit of
water.
 Monocrotophos 2 ml/lit of
water.
Scissor cuts on leaves
 LEAF MINER Acrocercops syngramma Meyrick
Gracillaridae / Lepidoptera

Adult small delicate whitish

moth with long fringed hairs
Larva yellowish with brown or
black head
Caterpillar mine into the leaf –
blistering zig-zag tunnels
Pupation inside the tunnel or
outside in white cocoon

 Endosulfan – 2 ml/ lit.

 Monocrotophos – 1.6 ml/lit
 Quinalphos – 1 ml/lit

White blister like

mines
 GALL MIDGE
Procontarinia matteiana
Cecidomyiidae / Diptera

Several species reported

damaging mango
Eggs laid on under surface of
leaves. On hatching maggots
bore inside leaf tissue – small
raised wart like galls
Deformed - drop pre-maturely
 If infestation is severe, spray
dimethoate 2 ml/lit
 Phosphamidon – 1 ml/lit
 Monocrotophos – 2 ml/lit

Small wart like galls Larger galls

 TEA-MOSQUITO BUG

Helopeltis antonii
Miridae : Hemiptera

⁂ Adult reddish brown bug,

black head, red thorax,
⁂ Knobbed process arises
Necrotic lesions on shoots mid-dorsally on thorax
⁂ Necrotic lesions on shoots
⁂ Drying of shoots,
inflorescence, dropping of
flowers and young fruits

¶ Endosulfan – 2ml /lit

¶ Carbaryl – 3 g/lit

Necrotic lesions on peeled stem

 MEALY BUG

Drosicha mangiferae Green

Margarodidae / Homoptera

Adult female is big pinkish in

colour with segmentation

Female
NATURE OF DAMAGE

Nymphs and adults suck

sap from inflorescence,
Mealy bug on
tender leaves and shoots
fruit stalks Excessive desapping –
wilting, drying – fruit
setting effected. Honey
dew – sooty mold
Leaves and inflorescence
Mealy bugs
become shiny black and
on fruit sticky
Photosynthetic activity
adversely affected
 MANAGEMENT

Summer Ploughing or Raking

Sticky bands on trunk
Alkathene band
Soil application of insecticides
like 2% Methyl parathion dust
50 g/tree effective

 Malathion – 0.04%
 Dimethoate – 0.03%
 Phosphamidon – 0.04%
 Diazinon – 0.05%

Alkathene band to prevent the ascent of

nymphs of D. mangiferae
 THRIPS
Adults
Rhipiphorothrips cruentatus Hood
Thripidae / Thysanoptera

‡ Adults yellowish white in colour,

nymphs small in size, white in
colour
‡ Nymphs and adults puncture and
suck sap from epidermis of Thrips infested young shoot
leaves and effected area turned
dark or develop scars
‡ Leaves blackened on growing
points – curled – fell down –
complete defoliation
‡ Secondary infection
 Scab-like tissues on ripened fruit

MANAGEMENT OF THRIPS
Discoloured tissues on developing fruit
Triazophos 0.01% sprays given at 15D
interval with
Dimethoate 0.05% alternate chemical
from panicle
Deltamethrin 0.07% emergence stage.
INSECT PESTS
OF CITRUS
LEMON BUTTERFLY/CITRUS BUTTERFLY: Papilio demoleus
P.polytes
P.helenus
Papilionmidae/lepidoptera)
P. demoleus (Linnaeus) P. polytes L P. helenus (Moore)
Adult: Yellow and black markings Males are black and Wings on
fore and hind wings females are in various with three
white discal spots
Hind wings have a forms.
brick red spot near
upper margin.
Larva: Young larvae are blackish-
brown with white markings resemble
bird’s excreta Bifid reddish sac,
osmatarium on top of prothorax –
defense mechanism. Full grown
caterpillar is rich green smooth, velvety
with brown oblique bands on lateral Young
side. larvae
Nature of damage:
Grownu
Caterpillars feed voraciously on leaves,
p larvae
generally starting from margin inwards
and leave behind the mid ribs.

Larval
damage
 MANAGEMENT

• Hand picking & destruction of larvae & pupae

• Bioagents
• Endosulfan 0.05%, Monocrotophos 0.05%
• Quinalphos , Phosphomidan, Carbaryl

New Molecules :
• Fenvalerate
• Acephate
Citrus Leaf miner : Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton
(Phyllocnistidae (or) Gracillaridae/Lepidoptera
Serpentine larval
mines
Adult: Moths are tiny, silvery white with heavily
fringed wings.
Forewings have brown stripes and a prominent
blackspot near apical margin. Hind wings white
Larva: Yellowish – White cylindrical and apodous.

Nature of damage:
The larvae feed on epidermal cells of the young
leaves and make silvery serpentine mines. Affected
leaves fold over, twist and get distorted. Distorted leaf
Control: Dimethoate (before spray irrigate),
NSKE, Monocrotophos.
Blackfly
Aleurocanthus woglumi Ashby
(Aleurodidae /Homoptera)

Adults: are tiny moth like, slaty black with white

markings at the edge of the wings.

Nymphs are scale like, shiny black,

conspicuously spiny and bordered by a white
fringe or waxy.

Nature of Damage:
Groups of Insects suck sap from underside of the
leaves.
Honeydew – Sootymoulds.
CONTROL: Systemic insecticides –
Phosphamidon/Dimethoate/
Methyldemeton

Black flies
APHIDS
Toxoptera aurantii (Fonscolombe) Aphids on leaves

Aphis gossypii
Myzus persicae
(Aphididae/Homoptera)
Adult: T. aurantii are shiny black in colour, winged
(or) wingless with relatively short antennae
Immature stages are brown in colour.
Nature of damage:
Nymphs and adults, suck sap from underside
of the leaves resulting in distortion of young
leaves and tender twigs. Honeydew –
Sootymould.
Control: Systemic Insecticides –
Dimethoate/Oxydemeton methyl/ & monocrotophos
CITRUS PSYLLA
Diaphorina citri (Kuwayama)
(Psyllidae/Homoptera)
Adults: are brownish, with pale brown wings,
Infested plant
having a pale broad stripe along the centre
Nymphs: are flattened, circular and yellowish
orange
Nature of damage:
Both nymphs and adults suck sap from the
plants. inject toxins into the plant resulting Nymphs
branches dry and dies.
Sooty mold
Tree appears entirely white
Transmits Greening & Sankhu disease
CONTROL: Systemic insecticides –
Dimethoate/Oxydemeton
methyl/Monocrotophos
CALIFORNIA RED SCALE
Aonidiella aurantii Maskell
(Diaspididae/Homoptera)
Adults are red, circular, flat with conspicuous
antennae
Male are elongate and covered with scales
The crawlers come out of scale.
Nature of Damage:
Pest sucks sap from leaves tender shoots
and fruits.
Infested fruit
Nymphs secrete wax that covers the entire
body.
Control: Dimethoate/Oxydemeton
methyl/Phosphamidon.
CITRUS MEALY BUG:
Planococcus citri Risso Mealybugs on lemon fruits
(Pseudococcidae / Homoptera)

Adult: Females are ovate, covered with Waxy coating

and possess projected appendages round the entire
periphery.

Nymphs: Crawlers are pale yellow, on which waxy

coating gradually appears.
Nature of damage:
Nymphs and adults infest leaves, tender branches,
fruits and even roots – Sootymould. Growth of the
tree is arrested.
Control: Systemic insecticides before mealy growth.
Thrips
Affected fruit
Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis Bouche
Scirtothrips citri
Thrips florum
(Thripidae/Thysanoptera)
Adults minute long, narrow and highly fringed wings.
Colour may be yellowish to dark brown depending upon the
species
Nature of damage
Thrips lacerate the tissue and feed on the oozing sap.
Young leaves causing distortion, crinkling and mottling
of the leaves.

Control: Dimethoate/Phosphamidon/Oxy demeton –

methyl.
 MITES
Mite affected leaf
Oligonychus citri
Eutetranychus orientalis Klein
(Tetranychidae/Acarina)

Mangu mite :Phyllocoptes olevorius

(Eriophid mite)

Citrus mites are tiny, orange or dark red, with thick brown patches on
the dorsum. Body is covered with prominent white bristles.
Larva: is light yellowish (or) brown with initially 3 pairs of legs later
developing 4 pairs.

Mite affected fruit

Nature of damage:
Yellow (or) brown spots appear on fruits
Mangu: Discolouration of rind on the surface directly exposed to
sunlight. Pinkish brown red brittle

Control: Phosalone/Dicofol/Dinocap

Mangu mite affected fruit

 INSECT
PESTS OF
GRAPEVINE
MEALY BUGS
Maconellicoccus hirsutus

Females are wingless sac like,

light
Pink coloured

Males with one pair of delicate

wings possess white caudal
filaments on each side of the
ninth abdominal segment.

COLONIES OF MEALY BUGS

FEEDING ON BERRIES
 NATURE OF DAMAGE

• Malformation of
growing shoots and
leaves.

MALFORMED YOUNG SHOOT •Sticky honeydew.

•Mold growth.

•Heavy infested berries

shrivel and drop.

SOOTYMOLD ON LEAF
 Control
• Arrest the movement of crawlers by
applying thick paste of Sticky band like
greese .
• Biocontrol agent : Cryptolaemus
montrouzeri – 20 adults / vine.
• Spray- Dichlorovas
Monocrotophos
Buprofezin mixed with fishoil rosin soap.
THRIPS
Rhipiphorothrips cruentatus

• Adults are minute yellow

to brown, with fringed
wings.

• Nymphs reddish in colour

carrys black, globular,
shiny excretory droplet at
their anal end.
 Nature of Damage :
•Rasp & suck the sap from tender leaves,
flower stalks.

•White scorchy patches develop on leaves.

Control :

Varieties with thick leaves & underside hairyness

tolerate the attack.

Spray ---- Dimethoate

Methy oxy demeton. Phosphomidon
Monocrotohos.
New Molecules like - Spinosad, Acetamiprid,
Imidacloprid.
INSECT PESTS OF COCONUT
 PESTS OF COCONUT

Black Headed caterpillar :

LARVAE
Opisina arenosellaWlk
(Oecophoridae/Lepidoptera)
 Peak activity observed in hot
months (April-June) .
 Moth is medium sized with
straw to ash grey body and
uniform pale-whitish forewings.
 Caterpillar is slender,
elongated, pale greyish-green
with reddish brown wavy
longitudinal stripes and black
head.
Damage
 Larva scrapes and
feeds on the surface tissues
of the lower surface of the
leaflet.
 It binds two halves of
leaflets together, constructs AFFECTED FROND
a gallery of silk and fross
and lives under it.
Attacked leaflets
form brown and
dry up .
Attacks only
lower leaves and
from a distance
appear as if burnt .
AFFECTED TREE
Management:
•EIL 15% defoliation/palm ROOT FEEDING
•Root feeding with Monocrotophos
(Monocrotophos: Water in 1:1 @ 10 ml : 10 ml)
•Bio control
Egg – Trichogramma australicum
(Trichogrammatidae)
Early larval – Apanteles taragamae
(Braconidae)
Mid larval – Microbrouon brevicornis
(Braconidae)
Late larval – Goniosus nephantidis
(Bethylidae)
Pre pupal – Elasmus nephantidis (Elasmidae)
Pupal – Tetrastichus pupivora (Eulophidae)
Rhinoceros Beetle
Oryctes rhinoceros L.
(Scarabeidae/Coleoptera)

•Peak activity noticed from July – Sept.

. Adult beetle is stout, black or reddish
brown, elytra smooth and shiny, lower
side of body brownish and hairy.
•Grub is stout, fleshy with an arched
body, brownish head, three pairs of
thorasic legs, ash grey wrinkled body
except the posterior tail which is ADULT
smooth and brownish.
Damage: AFFECTED FROND
•Beetles bores into central
shoots, spathes and petioles,
chews the tissues, ingests the
juice and throws out dry
fibrous part .
•Attacked central shoot
topples down and the tree may
be killed if the growing
primordium is destroyed.
•Leaves of partly damaged
crowns when grow show
characteristic ‘V’ shaped
cuttings on the leaflet.
Management
•Treat manure pits with Carbaryl dust four times a year
in January – April – July – October.
•Hook out beetles from crowns during July – September.
•Poison bait (Rotting mustard + Castor cake + Toddy +
Lindane) .
•Napthalene balls in crown region.
•Fine sand + Carbaryl dust kept in muslin cloth on crown
region gives good control.
•Fungi – Metarrhizium anisopliae
TERMITES:
Odontotermes sp.
(Termitidae/Isoptera)
•Social insects: Queen lives for several years
and lays several thousands of eggs every day.
•Termites damage coconut both at nursery &
transplanted seedlings.
•Wilting of central shoot, stunted growth and
presence of mud gallaries are typical symptoms
of attack.
Management:
•Copious Irrigation
•Drenching nurseries or base of transplanted
seedlings with Chlorpyriphos or Quinalphos is
recommended
•Digging termatoria and destruction of queen is AFFECTED PLANT
important in termite management.