Mealy bugs: Planococcus spp.

• Mealy bugs are the most important sucking pests of coffee.
• P.citri (Risso) and P. lilacinus (Cockerell) are the most common species infesting coffee.

Symptoms of damage and nature of attack Young plants – susceptible for heavy infestation. Infest tender branches, nodes, leaves, spikes, berries and roots Both nymphs and adults suck the sap from the leaves. Severe infestation - Chlorotic leaves, aborted flower buds and small berries Honey dew excrete – development of sooty mould fungus (affects photosynthesis) Identification of the pest Males - smaller and winged. Female - wingless, oval body

Large white mealy bug Cherry infestation

Management

• Maintain adequate shade.
• Destroy nets of red ant and cocktailed ant.
• Control ants by dusting quinalphos 1.5% or malathion 5% around the base of coffee and shade trees.
• Spray the affected patches with quinolphos 25 EC 300 ml using a gator sprayer.
• Infested roots - drench the soil near the root zone with any one of the above insecticides at the same dosage. (Add 300 ml of Plantvax 20 EC or 160 g of Bayleton 25 WP in 200 l water)
• In the case of young plants (2-4 year old) drenching with dimethoate 30 EC @ 3 ml per litre of water effective in root and shoot mealy bugs.
• Field release of two introduced natural enemies viz., the predatory lady bird beetle Cryptolaemus montrouzieri and the parasitoid Leptomastix dactylopii

Adult of C. montrouzieri feed on mealy bug	Grub of C. montrouzieri feed on mealy bug	Leptomastix dactylopii

• RCRS, Thandikudi