Insect Pests of Fruit, Plantation, Medicinal & Aromatic Crops (2+1)

3. Fig midge

3. Fig midge - Anjeerodiplosis peshawaransis Mani.(Cecidomyiidae : Diptera)

Damage

• The maggot bores inside the fruit and feeds on the pulp within.
• The infested fruits become hard, and deformed.
• The damaged fig ultimately shrivels, withers and dropped down prematurely.
Bionomics

• The adult fly is small, light brown in colour with small head and bear two jointed antennae.
• The female fly lays minute, oval, pedicellate eggs on one week old fruit.
• The eggs are laid in cluster of 10 eggs.
• The egg period is 3 days.
• The maggot is creamy white in colour.
• The larval period is 3-4 weeks.
• The maggot drop down to the soil for pupation.
• The pupal period lasts 10-26 days.
Management

• Collect damaged fruits along with maggots and destroy.
• Rake up soil to expose pupae and apply lindane 1.3 D at 25kg/ha.
• Spray dimethoate 30 EC 2 ml/ litre or malathion 50 EC 0.1%.