TNAU Agritech Portal
Home | About Us | Success Stories | Farmers Association | Farmers' Innovation | Publications| Contact
Crop Protection :: Pests of Citrus

Mealy bug: Planoccus citri

Symptoms of damage

  • Both nymphs and adults suck the sap from the cells of tender branches and fruits
  • Turn pale colour
  •  Affected plant parts - wilt and dry up
  • Large amounts of honey dew excrete - sooty mould fungus
  • Fungus covers the foliage and fruits
  • In severe infestation the flowers do not form fruits

Identification of pest

  • Eggs:  Are laid in clusters, protective cottony mass
  • Nymphs: Are amber coloured with white waxy coating with filaments
  • Adult: Male is winged, long antenna and without mouth parts. Female is wingless, flat body and short, waxy filaments along the margins

Management

  • Collect and destroy the damaged leaves, twigs and stems
  • Use sticky trap (5cm length) on fruit bearing shoots
  • Spray dichlorvas 0.2% in combination with fish oil rosin soap 25g/lit
  • Soil treatment with chlorophyriphos apply on the near the tree trunk
  • Spraying of trees with acephate, methomyl, or chlorpyriphos.
  • Field release of Australian lady bird beetle, Cryptoleamus montrouizeri 10 per tree

 

Egg mass Adult female and crawlers
Mealy bug on fruits 

Home | About Us | Success Stories | Farmers Association | Publications | Contact Us

© 2015 TNAU. All Rights Reserved.