PESTS OF PAPAYA
S.NO COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME FAMILY ORDER
1. PAPAYA Paracoccus marginatus Pseudococcidae Hemiptera
MEALYBUG
2. WHITEFLY Bemisia tabaci Aleyrodidae Hemiptera
3. APHIDS Aphis gossypii,Myzus persicae Aphididae Hemiptera
4. FRUIT FLY Bactrocera dorsalis Tephritidae Diptera
5. ASH WEEVILS Myllocerus spp Curculionidae Coleoptera
6. RED SPIDER MITE Tetranychus urticae Tetranychidae Acari
7. SCALE INSECT Aspidiotus destructor Diaspididae Hemiptera
Aonidiella orientalis
1.papaya mealy bug:
Paracoccus marginatus(pseudococcidae:hemiptera)
*Exotic/Invasive in origin and native to mexico and central america
*HOSTS-polyphagous;papaya,citrus,mango,cherry,jatropa,cotton,beans,peas,etc
SYMPTOMS:
● A mealybug that causes severe infestations of papaya and other hosts by
feeding on fruits and stems, resulting in yellowing, stunting, deformed
leaves and fruit drop.
● As the mealybug feeds on sap it expels liquid which falls onto leaves and
attracts growth of dark fungi which prevent the leaves functioning normally.
IDENTIFICATION OF PEST:
● Eggs (up to 600) are laid into an egg sac underneath the female
● The nymphs or "crawlers" of both sexes go through several moults
● Females develop as mealybugs, males develop into fly-like insects with
wings. Males have no mouthparts, and their only function is to mate, and
then die
MANAGEMENT:
● Natural enemies of the papaya mealybug include the generalists, e.g.,
ladybird beetles (including the so-called "mealybug destroyer",
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri), l acewings, and hover flies
● The most efficient are, Acerophagus papayae, Anagyrus loecki, Anagyrus
californicus and Pseudleptomastix mexicana. Acerophagus papayae s eems
to be the most effective.
● Several soap or oil sprays will be needed to bring the mealybugs under
control. It is essential that the underside of leaves, stems, and the surface of
fruits are sprayed thoroughly. It is best to spray between 4 and 6 pm to
minimise the chance of leaves becoming sunburnt.
● Among the chemical insecticides, Sevin 85 SP and Dimethoate 40 EC
showed significant mortality of papaya mealybug. Deltamethrin 2.5 EC and
Neem oil (2%) provided moderate control of the pest.
2.WHITEFLY:Bemisia tabaci(Aleyrodidae:Hemiptera)
SYMPTOMS:
● Nymphs and adults suck the sap from undersurface of the leaves
● Yellowing of leaves.
● Vector of papaya leaf curl virus
IDENTIFICATION OF PEST:
● Egg - pear shaped, light yellowish
● Nymph - Oval, scale-like, greenish white
● Settle down on a succulent part of leaves.
● Adult - White, tiny, scale-like adults.
MANAGEMENT:
● Field sanitation
● Removal of host plants
● Installation of yellow sticky traps
● Spray application of imidacloprid 200SL at 0.01% or triazophos 40EC at
0.06% during heavy infestation.
● Spray neem oil 3% or NSKE 5%
● Release of predators viz., Coccinellid predator, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri
● Release of parasitoids viz. , Encarsia haitierrsis and E.guadeloupae
3.GREEN PEACH APHID:
Myzus persicae(Aphididae:hemiptera)
SYMPTOMS:
● Nymphs and adults suck the sap from leaves, petioles and fruits
● Leaf curling and falling
● Premature fruit drop
● Vector of Papaya ring spot virus.
IDENTIFICATION OF PEST:
Adult: Dark brown to chocolate brown colour
MANAGEMENT:
● Remove and destroy damaged plant parts
● Spray dimethoate 0.03% or methyl demeton 0.025%
● Field release of parasitoid Aphelinus mali and predators,Coccinella
septumpunctata.
4.FRUIT FLY:Bactrocera dorsalis(Tephritidae:Diptera)
SYMPTOMS:
● Maggots puncture into semi-ripe fruits with decayed spots
● Oozing of fluid and brownish rotten patches on fruits.
● Dropping of fruits.
IDENTIFICATION OF PEST:
● Egg - pear shaped, light yellowish
● Nymph - Oval, scale-like, greenish white
● Settle down on a succulent part of leaves.
● Adult - White, tiny, scale-like adults.
MANAGEMENT:
● Collect fallen infested fruits and dispose them by dumping in a pit and
covering with soil.
● Provide summer ploughing to expose the pupa
● Monitor the activity of flies with methyl eugenol sex lure traps.
● Heavy application of dust and sprays of pyrethrum or BHC
● Spray fenthion 100 EC 2 ml/ lit or malathion 50 EC 2ml/lit.
● Field release of natural enemies Opius compensates and Spalangia
philippines
5.ASH WEEVIL:
Myllocerus spp.(Curculionidae:Coleoptera)
SYMPTOMS:
● Grub feed on the roots
● Wilting of young saplings
f leaf margin by adults
● Notching o
IDENTIFICATION OF PESTS:
● Grub – small, apodous
● Adult – greenish white with dark lines on elytra
MANAGEMENT:
● Collect and destroy the adults
● Spray carbaryl 50 WP at 2g/lit
6.RED SPIDER MITE:
Tetranycus urticae( Tetranychidae:Acari)
SYMPTOMS:
● Spider mites usually extract the cell contents from the leaves using their
long, needle- like mouthparts. This results in reduced chlorophyll content in
the leaves, leading to the formation of white or yellow speckles on the
leaves.
● In severe infestations, leaves will completely dessicate and drop off. The
mites also produce webbing on the leaf surfaces in severe conditions.
● Under high population densities, the mites move to using strands of silk to
form a ball-like mass, which will be blown by winds to new leaves or plants,
in a process known as “ballooning.”
IDENTIFICATION OF PESTS:
● Egg: Eggs reddish, spherical and provided with a small filament. Incubation
period is 4-6 days, before hatching becomes light orange colour.
● Nymph: Upon hatching, it will pass through a larval stage and two nymphal
stages before becoming adult. Developmental stages include six legged
larva, protonymph and deutonymph.
● Adult: Adult female elliptical in shape, bright crimson anteriorly and dark
purplish brown posteriorlym. Mites spin a web of silken threads on the leaf.
Each developmental stage is followed by a quiescent stage and life cycle
completed in 10-14 days.
MANAGEMENT:
● Spraying with Phosphamidon (0.04%) or Methyl Parathion (0.05%)
effectively reduces the spider mite population.
● Use of mechanical barriers e.g Lantana camara hedge rows
● Predators: Anthocorid bugs (Orius spp.) , mirid bugs, syrphid/hover flies,
green lacewings (Mallada basalis and Chrysoperla spp. )
7.SCALE INSECT:
Aspidiotus destructor( Diaspididae:Hemiptera)
SYMPTOMS:
● Yellow spots to develop beneath the insects, due to the toxicity of saliva
injected in to plant tissues while feeding.
● Entire leaves may turn yellow to brown and fall, and fruits may be
discoloured, stunted or fall prematurely.
IDENTIFICATION OF PEST:
● Egg: hatching the young scales on the undersides of the leaves.
● Nymph: Covered with circular waxy secretion
● Adult: The scale is bright yellow and round or reddish (female) and oval
(male) covered with semi transparent grayish white flat scale. Females are
always wingless and remain under their scale their entire life. Adult males
have one pair of membranous wings, move about actively in search of
females and do not feed during adult stage.
MANAGEMENT:
● Spray Fish Oil Rosin Soap (FORS) 2.5% or spray Malathion. A second
round is given after 20 days.
● Release of predatory Coccinellids, Chilocorus nigritus is found to be
effective.
