Most Common Pests Affecting Mangoes

Mango trees can be infested by more than 492 species of insects, 17 species of mites, and 26 species of nematodes. Among them, almost a dozen species have been identified as major mango pests, causing severe crop losses. These include the hopper, mealy bug, inflorescence midge, fruit fly, scale insect, shoot borer, leaf webber, and stone weevil. Insects that attack the crop during the flowering and fruiting periods cause more significant damage. Other insects that are not mentioned above are considered minor pests and are less harmful to the mango crop. Below is a brief overview of the biology and control measures for major mango pests.

Leaf Hopper

The hopper is one of the most serious and widespread pests of mangoes, causing heavy damage to the crop by puncturing and sucking sap from tender parts, resulting in the curling and drying of infested tissue. They also secrete a substance that promotes the growth of a fungus, which harms the photosynthetic activities of leaves. Hopper populations increase during warm periods, especially in neglected or closely planted orchards. The female hoppers lay eggs on mid-ribs of tender leaves, buds and inflorescence. The total life cycle of hoppers takes 2-3 weeks in favourable weather.

To control leaf hoppers, the farmers usually apply:

• Chemical control: 3 sprays with products containing Carbaryl or Monocrotophos or Phosphomidon or Methyl Parathion. The first application usually occurs during the early panicle formation stage, while the second one is performed before full bloom. One last pray is usually needed after the fruit set when mangoes have attained the pea stage.
• Biological: Important predator insects like Mallada boninensis and Chrysopa lacciperda and the egg parasite Polynema sp have been found to control the pest effectively.
•  Integrated Pest Management (IPM): To protect pollinators and other beneficial insects and decrease fruit pesticide residues, many farmers prefer to adopt IPM practices to control mango pests. To manage mango hopper pests, prefer larger planting distances, prune to improve airflow inside the canopy and keep weeds under control. The chemical spray must be applied when absolutely necessary, and always follow the label guidelines and the advice of an agronomist. Neem products may be included in the management schedule of the pest.

Mealy bug (Drosicha mangiferae): 

Mealy bug is an important pest widely spread (especially in Asia) and causes severe harm to mango crops across the country. Both the nymphs and adults suck the plant sap, reducing plant vigour. This can cause wilting and eventual drying of the infested tissue due to excessive and continuous draining of plant sap. Additionally, mealy bugs secrete honeydew, a sticky substance that promotes the growth of a fungus called Maliola mangiferae, commonly known as sooty mould. The adult male is winged and small, while the female is larger and wingless. After mating, the female crawls down the tree and enters the cracks in the soil to lay eggs in large numbers encased in white egg sacs. These eggs remain dormant in the soil until favourable conditions return. After hatching, the newly hatched nymphs, which are pink to brown, crawl up the tree and begin to feed. They are particularly problematic because they infest the crop during the flowering season, and if control measures are not taken in time, the crop may be entirely destroyed.

To control mealy bug, there are 2 main methods:

• Mechanical: Using polythene bands of 25 cm width and tightening them around the tree trunk can be an effective barrier to prevent nymphs from ascending the trees. It is recommended to fasten the band well in advance of the hatching of eggs.
• Biological: To control the nymphs, a farmer can use the predator insects: Menochilus sexmaculatus, Sumnius renardi and Rodolia fumida.
• Chemical: Products of Methyl Parathion dust (for soil applications), Monocrotophos, Carbaryl, and Methyl Parathion (for spraying) have been proven effective.

Inflorescence midge (Erosomyia indica)

The ‘mango inflorescence midge’, Erosomyia indica Grover Diptera: cecidomyiidae) is another major pest of mango. This pest has become very serious, causing severe damage to mango crops by attacking the inflorescence and the small fruits. The adult midge lays eggs singly on floral parts like tender inflorescence axis, newly set fruit or tender leaves encircling the inflorescence. The eggs hatch within 2-3 days. Upon hatching, the maggots penetrate the tender parts on which the eggs have been laid and feed on them. The floral parts finally dry up and are shed. The larval period varies from 7-10 days. The mature larvae go into the soil for pupation. The pupal period varies from 5-7 days. There are 3-4 overlapping generations of the pest spread over the period. After that, as the weather conditions turn unfavourable, the mature larvae undergo resting in the soil instead of pupating.

Control: As the larvae pupate in the soil, ploughing of the orchards exposes pupating as well as resting larvae to the sun’s heat which kills them. Soil application of Methyl Parathion also kills pupating and diapausing larvae in the soil. The insecticide in the soil should be applied after monitoring the larvae population on the white sheet below the tree.

Spraying with Fenetrothion, Dimethoate, and Diazinon products at the bud burst stage of the inflorescence have been found effective in controlling the pest population.

Fruit fly

The production of fresh mangoes has been significantly affected by fruit flies in many areas like Malaysia and West Africa. This pest’s activity can cause up to 40-80% yield loss in mangos. Among the fruit flies, the Oriental fruit fly is responsible for the most severe damage, while other species that can infest mature mango fruits are the Bactrocera zonatus, B. dorsalis, and B. correctus. Adult flies are typically dark brown (7 mm long). The females puncture the outer wall of mature fruits and lay eggs in small clusters inside the mesocarp. When hatched, the larvae feed on the fruit’s pulp, introducing bacteria and leading to premature fruit drop.

Prevent and control fruit flies in mango: It is essential to remove all fallen fruits from the soil, use specific attractants to mass capture (parapheromone- methyl eugenol traps) the male flies, and bait sprays applications. Many farmers also use ploughing to expose the pupae to the sun and heat (this measure is effective for other mango pests as well). Applying biological control with Oecophylla ants and parasitoids and effective weed management (to eliminate other pest hosts) could reduce the problem. Remember that having more than one variety per field with non synchronous life cycle can increase the risk and population of fruit flies.

Other important mango pests are:

Scale insects, Bark-eating caterpillar (Ludarbella quadrinotata), Stem borer (Batocera rufomaculata), Shoot gall psylla (Apsylla cistellata), Leaf webber (Orthaga euadrusalis), Stone weevil (Sternochetus mangiferae).

Some Recommended Pest Control Products in Mango

The information in this section is provided for educational purposes only. The reader is urged to exercise caution in making purchases or evaluating product information.

Label registrations can change at any time. Thus the recommendations may become invalid. The user must read the entire, most recent label carefully and follow all directions and restrictions. Purchase only enough pesticide for the current growing season.

References

https://nt.gov.au/industry/agriculture/food-crops-plants-and-quarantine/fruit-crops/mango/pests-and-diseases

https://publications.cta.int/media/publications/downloads/1770_pdf.pdf

Find more information in the book: “Success in Agribusiness: Growing Mango successfully” written by James Mwangi Ndiritu

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Planning and Planting a Mango Orchard

Mango Water Requirements and Irrigation Systems

Mango tree Fertilization

Most Common Pests Affecting Mangoes

The most important Mango Diseases

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