Symptoms of damage

• Infestation causes purple discolouration on fruits and make them unfit for marketing
• Infestation of shoots results in loss of vigour and death of young trees or branches
• Fruit with haloes will be culled because of its unsightly appearance.

Identification of pest

• Female scale is yellowish orange, round, slightly convex and raised a little at the centre with a black pustule
• Males are small and more linear shape

Management

• Select nursery stock free from scale infestation
• Spray application of systemic insecticides like phosalone 0.05% and methyl demeton 0.025%
• Field release of coccinellid predators like Chilocorus nigritus and parasitoid, Encarsia pernios