Mango Insect & pest

                     
                           Mango Mealy Bug
                         Drosicha mangiferae( Green)


Distribution:

              It has been reported from India, Bangladesh,China and Pakistan. In India, it is distributed in the Indo Gangatic Plain from Punjab to Assam.

Host Range:

       Besides mango , it also attacks 62 other plant including .

Marks of Identification:

          Females are wingless ,oval,flattened and
have body covered with a white Mealy power.
         

           .                    
The males are having one pair of black wings with crimpsion red body . The eggs are shining pink when freshly laid and become paler there after near watching.

Nature & extent of damage : 

             The damage is caused by nymphs and wingless females by sucking the plant juice tender shoots and flower .

           

The young fruit also become juiceless and dropoff .In case of severe infection pest is responsible for causing considerable loss to the mango crop and trees retain no fruit at all.

Life cycle & seasonal history:

           The mealy bug becomes active from December and continues till May and spends rest of the year in the egg stage .Female lays eggs generally in the April- May in the soil uo to a depth of 15 cm with in a silken purse.

 

Mating takes place soon after emergence of the males . The males fly about in large number in search of their mates. They have very strong sex instinct and mates several times in life span of a week . The female matures after 15-35 days and lays eggs for 22 to 47 days.

Natural enemies:

       Phygadenon sp. & Getonids perspicax   parasitize the nymphs while larvae of Brickochrysa scelestes and grub of Rosalia duniya are predaceous on mealy bug.

Management:

        Heavy irrigation of orchard in October also help in destruction of eggs of mealy bug.
A 400 gauge thick alkathene sheet should be fastened at about 30 cm above the ground level to the tree trunk with help of a thin rope after mud plastering I the month of November to cheek the ascending first instar mealy bug nymphs.

Insect of mango

                   1. MANGO HOPPER
                      Amritodus atkinsoni (L.)
                      Idioscopus clypealia (L.)


Distribution:
     
               The hopper are distributed in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines,etc.In India these hopper are distributed in all the mango growing areas .

Host range:

          No alternate host plants of hoppers have been known.

Nature and extent of damage:

                         The injury is caused by nymphs and adults by sucking the sap usually from lower surface of the leaves. Large number of nymphs may be found clustering on the inflorescence during spring and sucking the sap.                
 
                      

     The hopper also excrete honey dew encourages the development of fungi ,resulting the growth of soory mould on the dorsal surface of leaf , branches and even on fruit . A total of 20-100 ℅ loss has been reported to inflorescence by this pest.

Marks of Identification : 

                       The eggs and nymphs of these three species are difficult to identify from each other . Adults though looking similar vary in size and colour shade . Freshly hatched nymphs are wedge shaped and whitish in colour with two small red eyes.
             

Adults of A.atkinsoni are darker in colour and bigger in size measuring 4.2 to 4.8 mm long male and 4.7- 5.1 mm long female I.clvpealis is smaller and narrower , measuring 3.4 - 3.7mm long male and 3.6 - 3.9 mm long female .

Life cycle & seasonal history :

                 Females start egg laying around end of January or early in February and continue till March - April. The females make tiny slits in the tissues of flower shoots,flower buds or tender leaves with the help of their ovipositor and lay the eggs single their in  A single female lays about 100 - 200 eggs. The incubation period is 4-7 days . The nymphs moult 4-5 times and become adults in 10 -13 days in South Indian and in 18-20 days in north India.

Adults pass winter by hiding in cracks and crevices or in the bark of trees . They prefer damp and shady places and population multiplies in severe proportion in neglected and water logged richard. The activity de lines
With the on set of monsoon and insect remain inactive from August to January. The temperature between 10-15℃ is quite favourable for its multiplication.

Natural enemies : 

                     Natural enemies of mango hopper include Pyrilloxenos compactus . Epipyrops folinosa , Pipunculus annulifemus and the entomogenous fungi Isaria stellate and Hirosotella versicolor.

Management : 

 1. Avoid dense planting.
 2. For hopper management spray any of the following insecticides. First spray should be given when inflorescence are of about 2-3 inches long , second when fruits attain pea size followed by a third spraying 15 days later.
Solution of carbaryl 50 WP 1.5 g , Chlorpyriphos 20EC @2.0 ml/liter of water may be sprayed .Same insecticides should not be repeated.