Pests of citrus and their management

1. Citrus/Lemon butterfly: Papilio demoleus, P. polytesmales, P. helenushas (Lepidoptera:

Papilionidae); Pest of national significance, Major pest
2. Citrus psylla: Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae); Pest of national significance, Major pest
3. Citrus leaf miner: Phyllocnistis citrella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae); Pest of national
significance, Major pest
4. Fruit sucking moth: Eudocima (Othreis) fullonica, E. materna (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae); Pest
of national significance, Major pest
5. Citrus whitefly: Dialeurodes citri (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae); Pest of national significance,
Potential pest
6. Citrus blackfly : Aleurocanthus woglumi (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Pest of regional
significance, Potential pest
7. Aphid: Toxoptera aurantii (Hemiptera: Aphididae); Pest of national significance, Potential pest
8. Mealybug : Planococcus citri (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae); Present status-Pest of national
significance, Potential pest
9. Lime/orange tree borer: Cheledonium cinctum, Chloridolum alcamene (Coleoptera :
Cerambycidae); Pest of regional significance, Potential pest
10. Orange trunk borer: Anoplophora versteegi (Coleoptera: Lamiidae); Pest of regional
significance, Potential pest
11. Bark caterpillar: Indarbela tetraonis, Indarbela quadrinotata (Lepidoptera: Metarbelidae);
Pest of regional significance, Potential pest
12.Soft scale: Coccus hesperidium (Hemiptera: Coccoidea); Minor pest
13.Citrus rust mite / Eriophyid mite : Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Acari :
Eriophyidae); Minor pest
Other minor pests:
14.Thrips: Scirtothrips citri (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)
15.Fruit flies of citrus : Bactrocera spp. (Diptera : Tephritidae)
16.Spined citrus bug : Biprorulus bibax (Hemiptera : Pentatomidae)
17.Fruit borer of citrus: Conogethes punctiferalis (Lepidoptera : Pyralidae)
18.Termites : Macrotermes bellicocus (Isoptera : Termitidae)
19.Citrus leaf-eating weevil : Myllocerus discolour, M. Viridanus (Coleoptera :
Curculionidae)
20.Citrus blossom midge; Contarinia citri  (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)
 Citrus/Lemon-butterfly
Papilio demoleus, P. polytesmales, P. helenushas
(Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)

Distribution: All over the world Africa, greater part of Asia, Thailand and Japan.
Host range: Citrus and other Rutaceae plants. Eg. Aegle marmelos
Biology :
Egg: Yellowish white, round, smooth eggs are laid singly on tender leaves and
shoots. Egg hatches in about 6 – 8 days.
Larva: Freshly hatched caterpillars are dark brown and soon develop irregular
white markings on their body resembling bird’s drop. Grown up larvae
yellowish green with horn like structure on the dorsal side of the last body
segment. Larval period is 8-16 days in summer and four weeks during
November to December. Larvae eat their own exuviae after each moult. The
caterpillars feed voraciously on tender leaves.

Pupa: Full grown larva spins a girdle around its body for pupation & the chrysalis (pupa) hangs from
the twig with the help of two silken threads. The insect remains in the pupal form for 2–3
weeks before emerging as adults.
Adult: Female lays 183 pale or greenish yellow eggs in groups of 2-3 eggs on leaves. P. demoleus is a
big beautiful butterfly with yellow and black markings on all the four wings, having wing
expanse of about 50-60 mm. Its hind wings have a brick red oval patch near the anal margin and
there is no tail like extension behind though common in Papilionidae. P. polytesmales are black
and females vary in form while P. helenushas have black wings with three white distal spots.
Favourable conditions:
The larval population density will be high during October
to December months and July to December is the most
favourable period of its activity in general. Citrus
butterfly was able to survive during the winter even
though temperatures dropped below 0°C.

Damage symptoms:
Caterpillars prefers on light green tender
leaves. Feeding voraciously and leaving
only the mid-ribs. In severe infestation
the entire tree gets defoliated
 Citrus psylla
Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)

Distribution: USA, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Japan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia and China
Host range: Citrus, certain deciduous plants and families of rutaceae.

Biology :

Egg: The eggs are approximately 0.3 mm long, elongate, almond-shaped, thicker at the base, and
tapering toward the distal end. Newly laid eggs are pale, but turn yellow with time and
finally orange before hatching. The eggs are placed on plant tissue with the long axis
vertical to surface. Incubation period ranges between 7-10 days.

Nymph: Nymphs are pale yellow to brown in colour. The flattened bodies are marginally fringed
with bristles. Nymphs pass through five instars.  Late instar nymphs have distinctive red
eyes. The nymphs are always found on new growth, and move in a slow, steady manner
when disturbed. Nymphs excrete honeydew that attracts sooty mold. Each nymph also
produces a waxy tubule from its back end to help clear the sugary waste product away
from its body. The tubules are curly with a bulb at the end. Nymphal periods last for 12-25
days.
 Adult: The adults are tiny, mottled-brown, winged
insects with red eyes and short antennae. The wings
extend beyond tip of abdomen. Body is covered with
whitish, waxy secretion, making it appear dusty. 300
  The adults leap when disturbed and may fly a short
distance. They are usually found in large numbers
on the lower sides of the leaves with heads almost
touching the surface and the body raised almost to
a 30° angle. Eggs are laid singly or in cluster during
day time on the tips of growing shoots, and on and
between unfurling leaves. A female adult may lay
more than 800 eggs during her lifetime. The total
life cycle requires from 15 to 47 days, depending
upon the season. Adults may live for several
months. There is no diapause and populations are
low in winter. There are nine to 10 generations a
year.
Favourable conditions: Summer and rainy seasons.
 Damage symptoms:
 It is a vector of a serious citrus disease called
greening disease or Huanglongbing (HLB i.e. yellow
dragon disease) caused by phloem-limited
intracellular Gram-negative bacterium,  Candidatus
 Liberibacter asiaticus
(The term Candidatus indicates that it has not proved
possible to maintain this bacterium in culture).
The disease shows an asymmetrical pattern of blotchy yellowing or mottling of the leaf, with
patches of green on one side of the leaf and yellow on the other side. As the disease
progresses, the fruit size becomes smaller, and the juice turns bitter. The fruit may remain
partially green, that’s why named citrus greening. The fruit becomes lopsided, has dark
aborted seeds, and tends to drop prematurely. Chronically infected trees are sparsely foliated
with small leaves that point upward, and the trees have extensive twig and limb dieback.
Eventually, the tree stops bearing fruit and dies.

Small Big
Nutrient (Zn)
deficiency; Symmetrical Lopsided sparsely foliated
Asymmetrical pattern
Apart from spreading HLB, they suck sap from the plant tissue particularly
from new shoots and leaves and inject a salivary toxin during feeding.
Feeding by psyllid adults and nymphs causes newly forming leaves to twist
and curl similar to feeding damage from the green aphid. The mature
leaves after sustaining this damage show characteristic notchs. Psyllid
feeding also results in reduction of shoot length giving a witches’ broom
effect. If heavy feeding occurs early on the developing flush, the new flush
will fail to develop or abort.
In addition to direct feeding damage, honeydew inside the white waxy
secretions produced by the nymphs promotes the growth of sooty mold
which can reduce effective leaf area for photosynthesis.

witches’ broom i.e.

Compact of small leaves

Leaves on older brooms dry out and eventually

drop; leaving dead, bare branches
 Citrus leaf miner
Phyllocnistis citrella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)

Distribution: Eastern Asia, North Australia and India. Serious in

Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab
and Pakistan.
Host range: The pest is most commonly found on citrus
(oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes, grapefruit, and other
varieties) and closely related plants (kumquat and
calamondin).
Biology:
Egg: Eggs are very tiny (about 1.0 mm long and 0.2 mm wide), greyish or
yellowish white and slightly translucent. They are laid inside the leaf
tissue, just below the leaf surface. Eggs hatch about 1 week after being
laid.
Larva: The newly emerged larvae immediately begin feeding in the leaf and
initially produce tiny, nearly invisible, mines. As the larva grows, its
serpentine path of mines becomes more noticeable. The larvae moult four
times over a 2 to 3 weeks period as they develop. The larva emerges from
the mine as a prepupa and rolls the edge of the leaf over causing a curling
of the leaf.
Pupa: The leafminer becomes a pupa inside the curled leaf edge. Pupae are
very small, about 2 mm long and 0.5 mm wide with variable colour varying
from pale yellow-orange to golden-brown. The pupal stage lasts from 1 to
3 weeks.
Adult: Adult flies are small, about 2 mm long. Female flies are slightly larger
than males. It has silvery and white iridescent forewings with brown and
white markings and a distinct black spot on each wing tip. The hind wings and
body are white, with long fringe scales extending from the hind wing margins.
Adult moths are most active in the morning and the evening and spend the
day resting on the undersides of leaves, but are rarely seen. Soon after
emerging from the pupal case, the female moth emits a sex pheromone that
attracts males. After mating, the female lays eggs singly on the underside of
host leaves. On the tree, the newly emerged leaflets of flush growth,
particularly along the mid vein, are the preferred egg-laying (oviposition)
sites. However, they do not cause damage the host plants and live only 1 to 2
weeks. The entire life cycle of the insect takes 3 to 7 weeks to complete.

Favourable conditions:
Citrus leaf miner develops best at temperatures between 70 0 to 850F and
greater than 60% relative humidity.
Damage symptoms:
Larva mines into the tender leaves and form zig-zag galleries while feeding
on the epidermal cells leaving behind the remaining leaf tissues quite intact.
As it feeds and develops, the larva leaves a frass (feces) trail, observed as a
thin dark line, inside the meandering serpentine mine just under the surface
of the leaf. The infested leaves turn pale, get distorted and dry up. The larval
damage may lead to secondary infection by bacteria causing ‘citrus canker’.
In its last stage the larva emerges from the mine and moves to the edge of
the leaf. It rolls the leaf around itself and pupates in preparation for
adulthood, creating a rolled and distorted leaf. Citrus leaf miner is likely to
cause damage in nurseries and new plantings because the growth of young
trees is retarded by leaf miner infestations. In case of heavy infestation the
young trees are unlikely to die.
 Fruit sucking moth
Eudocima (Othreis) fullonica, E. materna (Lepidoptera:
Noctuidae)

Distribution: Throughout India.

Host range: Citrus, mango, grapes and apple.
Biology:

Egg:. Round and translucent eggs laid on wild plants and weeds like Tinospora
cordifolia, Cocculus pendulus, C. hirsutus in and around citrus orchard. Eggs may
be laid singly, or in masses containing 50-750 eggs. Placement may be on the
underside of young leaves, or on any part of the weed plants. Incubation period
is about two weeks.

Larva: Larvae are semi-loopers with stout appearance and dorsal hump on the last
segment of the body have distinct eye spots on head and yellow / red lateral
spots. When in danger, young larvae tend to respond by dropping to the ground,
while older larvae may exhibit a characteristic aggressive posture (snake like) and
swaying motion. There are five larval instars. Total development time for larvae is
about 21 days. Larvae can be found feeding anytime on the underside or edges
of leaves, but typically feed between 5 PM and 10 AM.

Pupa: Pupa is thick and dark reddish brown. Pupation occurs in an average of 12.5-
17.8 days within a pupal case made from leaf pieces and soil particles.
Adult: The adult moth is large and robust. The eyes are large. The thorax is pale to
purple-brown and the abdomen is pale brown at the base brightening to yellow-
orange at the tip. The forewings resemble a leaf by being olive to purple-brown
and may have white and green coloured flecks (the coloured flecks are more
common on females). This leaf-like appearance of the forewings makes this moth
difficult to see when it is at rest. The outer edges of the female’s forewings are
scalloped or toothed where those of the male’s are evenly curved. The hind wings
are bright yellow or orange with a black comma-shaped mark and are fringed by a
black border.
Damage symptoms:
It is a serious pest of maturing mandarin fruits. The adults puncture the ripening
fruits. Such fruits drop prematurely as a result of rotting due to fungal and
bacterial infections introduced through punctures causing considerable fruit loss.
 Citrus whitefly
Dialeurodes citri (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Distribution: Native of India, America, Guatemala, Bermuda, Chile, Peru,

Argentina, Brazil, France, SriLanka, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, Macao,
Pakistan and Sikkim.
Host range: Citrus, allamanda, banana shrub, chinaberry, coffee, Ficus
macrophylla, jasmine, lilac, mock olive, pear, pomegranate, tree of heaven,
trumpet vine, umbrella tree, water oak, persimmon, and wild olive.

Fourth instar nymph

Pupal case Adult with Eggs
Biology:

Egg : Freshly laid eggs are smooth yellow, ovoid or pear-shaped, and turn black with netted
ridges. The eggs are most frequently laid on pedicel of young tender leaves and hatch in eight
to 24 days, depending on the season. Unfertilized eggs develop into males only.

Nymph: Eggs hatch into mobile first instar nymphs called crawlers. Crawlers move to the

underside of leaves to begin feeding. After the first molt, the insects lose their legs and are
not mobile for the duration of the immature life stages. After the first instar the nymphs
become flat and oval or elongate-oval, and similar in appearance to soft scale insects.
Nymphs are pale, translucent, and greenish-yellow in colour. The leaf colour will show
through the thin nymphal body, therefore nymphs are difficult to see. Three nymphal instars
 followed by a pupal life stage before maturation. Citrus whiteflies overwinter as last-instar
 larvae or pupae. Nymphal life span averages 23 to 30 days while pupal development requires
13 to 30 days. Distinctive "Y" shape and red eyes present on the pseudo-pupa.

Adult: The adult is a tiny, moth-like, four-winged, Creamy white, coated with white wax with a
wing span of less than 4.3 mm. Most often they rest on the undersides of leaves and fly about
when plants are disturbed. The adult female lays about 150 eggs on the undersides of new
plant growth. The adult lives an average of about 10 days, but has been known to live for as
long as 27 days. The life cycle takes from 41 - 133 days, and there are often overlapping 
generations.
Damage symptoms:
Infestation on citrus plant
Nymphs and adults suck large quantities of sap.
Further injuries caused by sooty mold fungus which
grows over fruit and foliage in copious amount of
honeydew excreted by the whitefly. Heavily infested
trees become weak and produce small crops of
insipid fruit. A secondary injury to the trees may
result from an excessive increase of the common
scales of citrus which find protection under the sooty
mold that covers leaves and branches. Whiteflies
become a problem in plants having constant flushing Infestation on citrus
and new growth which is very common after severe plant

hedging and topping. The citrus whitefly is a

suspected vector of Citrus chlorotic dwarf virus which
causes crinkling, warping, inverted cupping, and
variegation.
 Citrus blackfly
Aleurocanthus woglumi (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Distribution: Sikkim, India, Srilanka, Philippines, Jamaica, Cuba

and Bahamas.
Host range: Citrus, sweet orange, avacado, grape vine, mango,
guava, pear, plum.

Adult
Eggs and ovipositing adults Nymphs & Pupa
Biology:

Egg: Eggs are laid in a spiral pattern on the underside of the leaf. Each female lays two to three
egg-spirals during her 10 to 14 days life span. Eggs hatch within seven to 10 days.

Nymph: The first instar is elongate-oval, brown in colour, with two glassy filaments curving over
the body. The first instar lasts seven to 16 days. The second instar is more ovate and convex
than the first instar, and dark brown in colour with numerous spines covering the body. The
second instar lasts seven to 30 days. The third instar is more convex and much longer than
the second. The body is shiny black with spines stouter and more numerous than those in the
second instar. The third instar lasts six to 20 days. The fourth instar, or so-called pupa, is ovate
and shiny black with a marginal fringe of white wax. The sex is readily distinguishable. The
pupal stage lasts 16 to 50 days.

Adult: The adult emerges from a T-shaped split appearing in the anterior end of the pupal case.
At emergence, the head is pale yellow, legs are whitish, and eyes are reddish-brown. Within
24 hours after emergence, the insect is covered with a fine wax powder which gives it a slate
blue appearance, and completes three generations in a year.
Favourable conditions: Cool temperature associated with high
humidity.
Damage symptoms:
Both nymphs and adults suck cell sap and secrete
voluminous honeydew on which sooty mold grows wildly
that leads to fungal manifestation (Capnodium sp.) covering
entire plant due to which photosynthesis is affected. Plants
are devitalized due to excessive desapping and in severe
cases fruit bearing capacity of the tree is also affected. Fruits
are rendered insipid in taste and blackened due to black
sooty mold. Such fruits fetch low price in the market.

Infested citrus leaves

 Citrus aphid
Toxoptera aurantii (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Distribution: Found in all citrus growing regions.

Host range: Rutaceae and Rosaceae families.

 
Biology :
 
Egg: Eggs are not produced by this species. Females give birth to living young.

Nymph: There are four nymphal stages of this aphid. They are without wings and brownish in
colour. Newly born nymphs are found grouped together since mothers do not move about
while birthing.

Adult: Only females are found. They are oval, shiny black, brownish-black or reddish brown in
colour, either with or without wings, and having short black-and-white banded antennae.
Winged individuals tend to have darker abdomens and be slightly thinner. The incidence of
winged individuals is dependent on the population density and leaf age. This is the only aphid
with an audible stridulation or high piercing sound caused by the aphid rubbing two parts of
it body together much like crickets. Large colonies will produce this scrapping sound when
they are disturbed. About thirty generations succeed each other and overlap throughout the
year.
Favourable conditions:
The development of this aphid is temperature
dependent. The optimum temperature for this aphid
is 20 to 25°C. Lower winter temperatures and
particularly summer heat (above 30°C) slow down
development.

Damage symptoms:
Nymphs and adults suck sap from plant parts causing
the curling up, deformation, yellowing and crinkling
of tender shoots resulting in stunted growth.
Blossoms and newly set fruits also affected which is
resulted in premature flower & fruits dropping.
Infested leaves become cup shaped and crinkled. It
transmits Citrus Tristeza Virus disease. Honey dew
secreted by the aphids acts as substrate for sooty
mold growth.
 Mealy bug
Planococcus citri (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

Distribution: Found in all citrus growing regions.

Host range: Rutaceae and Rosaceae families.

Biology:
Egg: Eggs are deposited as white cottony masses called ovisacs on trunk and
stems of citrus plants, giving the appearance of cotton spread on plants. The
glossy, light yellow eggs are oval and approximately 0.3 mm long. Depending
on the season, egg hatch may occur after 6 - 10 days or several weeks. A
female can lay from 300 to 600 eggs in her life period, which are deposited in
groups of 5 to 20. An average of 29 eggs per day is laid by females.

Nymph: Nymphs emerge from the ovisacs and typically settle along midribs and
veins on the underside of leaves, young twigs, and fruit buttons. Wax and
honeydew secreted by crawlers are visible indicators of infestations. First
instar female and male nymphs are called crawlers. The nymphs take 6 to 10
weeks to reach maturity. The nymphs are yellow, oval-shaped with red eyes,
and covered with white waxy particles The female nymphs resemble the adult
female in appearance, while male nymphs are more elongated. Female
nymphs have four instars. Males differ greatly; they have three instars and a
pre-pupal stage.
Adult: Adult size ranges in length from 3 mm (females) to 4.5 mm (males). The females are
wingless, white to light brown in colour, with brown legs and antennae. The body of adult
females is coated with white wax and bears a characteristic faint gray stripe along their dorsal
side. Short waxy filaments can be seen around the margins of their oval body with a slightly
longer pair of filaments present at the rear end of their body. Female mealy bugs are wingless
and, therefore, must be transported to subsequent host plants, although they are able to crawl
for short distances. The immature can be blown by wind. Females can live for up to 29 days
depending on the host plant. Males are similar in colour to females and have two long
backward-projecting white wax threads.
Damage symptoms:
Citrus mealy bug is a sporadic pest of citrus, occurring primarily in older, well-shaded groves
planted on heavy soils. They will feed on the roots, bark, foliage, and fruit. The citrus mealy bug
injects toxic saliva during feeding resulting in defoliation, fruit discolouration, fruit splitting, and
fruit drop. Mealy bugs usually gather in large numbers, causing premature leaf drop and twig
dieback when they feed. Like psyllids, they secrete honeydew, which attracts black sooty mold.
 Management of citrus pests
Citrus/Lemon butterfly:

i. Hand picks and destroys the larvae.

ii. Spray Fipronil 5% SC @ 25 ml/ 15 l, Chlorpyrifos 20 EC @ 2.5 ml/ l, Lambda Cyhalothrin 5% EC @ 20 ml / 15 l when the
infestation is moderate to severe.
iii. Spray carbaryl 0.1% or dimethoate 0.03 % or NSKE 5%
iv. Encourage activity of egg parasitoids, Trichogramma sp., Telenomus sp., and larval parasitoid, Apanteles spp. Charops sp.
and Brachymeria sp.
 
Citrus psylla:

v. Prune the affected trees and dried shoots periodically prevent the multiplications of psyllids.
vi. Conserve the natural enemies by avoiding broad-spectrum insecticides.
vii. Spray neem seed kernel extract 5 % or neem oil 1 % or Fipronil 5% SC @ 25 ml/ 15 l or Acephate 75% SP @ 20 g/ 15 l or
Imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 1 ml/ litres of water.
viii. Spray dimethoate 1675 ml or malathion 1250 ml / ha during February ¬March, May-June and July-August.
ix. Encourage activities of natural enemies such as Syrphids and Chrysopids.
 
Citrus leaf miner:

x. Collect and destroy damaged leaves along with larvae.

xi. Spray Dichlorvos 76 WSC 1 ml/l or Dimethoate 30 EC 1 ml/ l or Fenthion 100 EC 1 ml/l or Imidacloprid 200 SL 0.5 ml/ l or
NSKE 5% or neem oil 3% after new flush formation.
xii. Encourage activity of parasitoids, Tetrastichus phyllocnistoides, Elasmus sp, and Bracon phyllocnistoides.
Fruit sucking moth:

i. Remove and destroy the alternative weed host plants especially Tinospora cardifolia, Cocculus pendulus in
the vicinity of the orchard.
ii. Bait with fermented molasses at 100 g + Malathion 50 EC @ 10 ml / litre of water.
iii. Bag the fruit with polythene bags punctured at the bottom individually fruits in small-scale area.
iv. Create smoke on one side of the field and allow it individual fruits in small¬ scale area.
v. Set up light traps or food lures to attract and kill the moths.
vi. Cover the entire field / orchard with nylon net and spray with contact insecticide.
vii. Collect and dispose of damaged fallen fruits to prevent further attraction of adults.
viii. Cover fruits with polythene bags (300 gauges) punctured at the bottom.
ix. Apply smoke to prevent moth attacks.
x. Use light traps or food lure (pieces of fruits) to attract moths.
 
Citrus whitefly and Citrus blackfly :

xi. Regularly prune to avoid whitefly problems.

xii. Close planting, water logging or stress conditions are avoided.
xiii. Excessive irrigation and application of nitrogen and pesticidal sprays are avoided
xiv. Conserve predators like Coccinellids viz., Cryptognatha flavescens., Verania cardoni.
xv. Spray neem oil 3% or Fish Oil Rosin Soap 30 g/l or Fipronil 5% SC @ 25 ml/ 15 l or Acephate 75% SP @ 20 g/
15 l or Imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 1 ml/ litres of water.
xvi. Depending upon the size of the tree, spray with 5-15 l water/tree during April – May and again during
September – October.
Aphid:

i. Release of coccinellid predator, Menochilus sexmaculatus @ 50 per tree.

ii. Spray Acetamiprid 20% SP @ 5 g / 3 l or or Fipronil 5% SC @ 25 ml/ 15 l or Acephate 75% SP @ 20 g/ 15 l or Imidacloprid

17.8 SL @ 1 ml/ litres of water during March and again in September.

 
Mealybug :

iii. Collect damaged leaves, twigs and stems along with mealy bug colonies and destroy.

iv. Debark the branches and apply paste of diatomaceous earth plus boric acid at 1:1 ratio or paste of Chlorpyrifos 1.5% dust.

v. Use sticky trap on the shoot bearing the fruits at a length of 5 cm.

vi. Use Dichlorovos (0.2 %) in combination with fish oil rosin soap (25 g / litre) as spray.

vii. Release the coccinellid predator Cryptolaemus montrouzieri @ 10 beetles/tree.

viii. Release an exotic parasitoid Leptomastrix dactylopii 5000-7000 / ha.

ix. Put a band of Diazinon 5 g around the tree trunk leaving 30 cm from the main stem.

x. Follow ant control methods such as destruction of ant holes, red ant nests and skirting (Skirting: Removal of branches

which hang down to the ground) of citrus trees after harvest.

xi. Spray Dimethoate 30 EC @ 150 ml plus kerosene oil @ 250ml in 100 litres of water.