2. Mealy bug

2. Mealy bug - Planococcus lilacinus Ckll. (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera)

    • Mealybugs are important sucking pests of pomegranate.
    Life history
    • Adult females are small oval, elongate, soft bodied and wingless, covered with mealywax.
    • Of the two common species, Planococcus citri is oval, elongate and lays eggs in a fluffy ovisac, while P.lilacinus is globose and the eggs are not laid in ovisac.
    • The mealy bug lays 100-1000 eggs.
    • The females attains maturity in about a month.
    Damage
    • Mealy bug attack nodes, spikes, berries, tender branches, leaves and roots leading to debilitation of the plant and crop loss. In some cases, the mealy bugs infest the roots.
    Influence of weather
    • Mealy bug population increases if warm and humid conditions prevail. Continuous monsoon, high humidity and low temperatures are detrimental to mealy bug development. The migration of mealybugs starts in September/October from the ground to the aerial parts of the coffee plant through the main stem. The attack of mealybugs becomes severe during summer and with intermittent showers/irrigation.
    Ant association
    • Mealybugs produce honeydew and ants are attracted to it. Ants provide sanitation and protection from natural enemies. In the absence of ants the nymphs get trapped in honeydew and the natural enemies activity also increases.
    Control measures
    • Maintain optimum shade.
    • Control ants by dusting Quinalphos 1.5% or methyl parathion 2% or Malathion 5% dust around the base of the bush and shade trees and destroy ant nests.
    • Remove and destroy weeds, as many of them harbor the pests.
    • Spray the affected patches with Quinalphos 25 EC or Fenitrothion 50 EC @ 300 ml or Fenthion 1000 @ 150 ml or 4 liters of kerosene in 200 litres of water along with 200 ml of an agricultural wetting agent. While spraying kerosene. The spray solution should be stirred frequently to avoid setting of kerosene. If the root zone is affected, drench it with any one of the above insecticide solutions, except kerosene emulsion.
    • Release the parasitoid, Leptomastix dactylopii against P. citri or the preadtor, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri irrespective of the species of mealybugs.

Last modified: Wednesday, 8 February 2012, 4:52 PM