Insect pests of fruits and Fruit Trees

1) Mango hopper

Amritodus atkinsoni 

Family - Cicadellidae

~ It is a major pest of mango 

~ Adult and nymph both suck the sap from leaves , inflorescence and tender shoots 

~ They also secrete honey dew which causes the development of black fungus sooty mould 

For the control of the pest , spraying of Cypermethrin (500 ppm) , 

Carbaryl (0.1% )

Neem seed kernal extract 4% can be done at the time of fruit setting

Proper spacing of 10m× 10m and pruning is helpful in pest management

2) Fruit fly 

Dacus dorsalis 

~ It is major pest of mango and guava .

~ The fenale deposits eggs inside the fruit 3 to 4 mm deep 

~After hatching of eggs maggots start feeding on the pulp as a result fruits decay and ultimately drop down .

~ The population of the pest reaches at peak in March -April, May -june and September - October

✓Spraying of Deltamethrin 0.0025% and then Fenthion 0.05 % , Dinethoate 0.04 % Carbaryl 0.1% at the interval of 12 to 15 days is recommended for mango 

✓For guava 0.03% Phosphamidon can be used. 

✓Poison baiting is also helpful for controlling the pest 

3) Mealy bug:

Drosucha mangiferae 

Family - Margarodidae 

On mango

Dysmicoccus brevipes on Pineapple

Maconcellicoccus hirsutus ( on grape)

Host - All common fruits

Damaging stage: Nymph + female adult only for sucking

~For control of mango mealy bug , digging of soil around the tree and mixing of 5% Malathion dust is beneficial

~ Use of greese band and cellphone band on the trees is also effective

~ Spraying of 0.03% Monocrotophos can be done if other methods fail .

~ For control of pineapple mealy bug ,use phorate @ 1.75kg/ha 

For grape mealy bug use Dichlorvos is effective.

~ A predator lady bird beetle predator Australian origin @ 1200 beetles/ ha can be used for effective check of the pest.

4)  Fruit sucking moth :

Otheis fullonica 

Lepidoptera

F- Noctuidae 

Damage : Only by Adult 

~ These pests are minor pest of citrus , mnago , grapes and apple 

The adult moth cause damage. They pierce the fruits and make punctures for sucking juice 

~The site of attack is infected by fungus and bacteria with the result whole fruit turns yellow and drops off the tree 

Managements: 

~ Destruction of alternate host plants from vicinity

~ Disposal of fallen fruits which attract pest 

~ In small scale bagging of fruits can be done

Poison baiting : 

Gur 1 kg + Vinegar 60g + lead arsenate 60 g + water 10 litres . This solution should be applied ina wide mouth bottle 1 bottle per 10 trees 

Bottle containing bait should be tied to the trees.

5) Citrus psylla 

Diaphorina citri 

Family - psyllidae

~ It spreads greening disease 

It is serious in Punjab . The main cause of damage are nymphs & adults which crowd on terminal shoots and buds and suck plant sap .

~leaves curl up and drop and shoot may even die 

Control :

Infested plants may be sprayed with dinethoate 1ml/ litre of water 

Demeton 1ml/ litre of water

Natural enemies:

Chrysopa sp

6) Lemon butterfly 

Papilio demdeus 

Lepidoptera

Papilionidae 

~ The caterpillars are responsible for damage 

They cause severe defoliation by eating

The damage is very severe to young plants they may become completely devoid of leaves and ultimately die

The peak period for infestation is April to may August to October

: 

1) Hand picking of caterpillars on smaller plants and their destruction

2) Spraying of quinalphos 1ml/ litre of water or fenvralerate , Cypermethrin or decamethrin @0.2 to 3 ml / lite of water 

Natural enemies: 

Trichogramma evanescens egg parasite

7) Anar butterfly ( Pomegranate fruit borer)

Lepidoptera

Lycaenidae 

Virochola isocrates 

Pomegranate, guava , Ber , Sapota and tamarind are attacked most destructive to pomegranate

The caterpillars cause danage . 

They bore into fruits and feed on seeds .They plug the entry holes by their anal ends 

The infected fruit drops prematurely or when the mature fruits are opened seeds are found eaten up

Control:

Bagging of fruits with cloth bags 

Butter paper or polythene on small scale is effective

Spraying of phosphomidon 3 ml/ 10 litres of water at interval of 15 days at least 5 times is recommended

8) San Jose Scale :

Quadraspidiotus pernicious

Hemiptera 

~Plants belonging to the family Rosaceae such as apple , plum , pear,  peach are severely attacked, thoughit is serious pest in temperate regions on nearly 700 different species of fruits

~Damage is caused by nymphs and female scales which suck up the sap from twigs , branches and fruits though all parts above the ground are attacked

Large number of insects may cause dealth of the plant

Management:

1) Orchard sanitation

2) The plants in nursery can be protected by applying carbofuran granules @0.75 - 1.0 g per plant

3) 2% miscible oil can be sprayed during Feb and March

4) Use of natural predators like Aphytis procila is beneficial 

9) Wooly aphid

Eriossoma lanigerum

~ It is a pest of apple, pear 

~ Infested plants have pale green leaves and whitish cottony patches on stem and branches 

Management:

1) Use of resistant root stock like Golden Delicious, Morton stocks 778, 779 , 789 

2) A parasite Aphelinus mali  very effectively controls the pest 

3) Spraying of 0.05 % Chlorpyriphos 

4) Use of phorate or carbofuran granules in soil 

Agricos 

✍️Vaishnavi Nimkar 🌾🌱🌾