Pests of Citrus_Identification_Management_Dr.UPR.pdf

Citrus trees are susceptible to a variety of insect pests that can affect their growth and fruit production. Here are some common insect pests of citrus:

Aphids: Small, soft-bodied insects that feed on sap. They can cause curling leaves and produce honeydew, leading to sooty mold.

Citrus Leaf Miners (Phyllocnistis citrella): Larvae create winding tunnels in leaves, causing damage and reducing photosynthesis.

Citrus Thrips (Scirtothrips citri): These pests feed on young leaves and fruit, causing silvering and scarring.

Scale Insects: Includes armored and soft scales that attach to stems and leaves, sucking sap and weakening the tree.

Mealybugs: These pests also produce honeydew and can lead to sooty mold and overall decline of the tree.

1. Pests of Citrus
By
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD.
Assistant Professor (Entomology)
JSACAT
Affiliated to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

2. Orange borer, Chelidoniumcinctum, Chloridolum
alcamene, Cerambycidae, Coleoptera
1
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)
Distribution and Status: Major and highly destructive pest in South India.
Damagesymptoms
Thegrubsboreintostemandfeedonthe
internaltissues,whichresultsindryingof
terminalshootsinearlystages,followed
bywiltingofthickerbranchesandmain
stem.Gumexudationandwoodpowder
accumulationongroundbelow.

3. Female lays 30-50 eggs. Egg period 11-72 days
Creamy white grub with flat head,
grub period 10 months
Pupates in a tunnel inside the stem and
pupal period three weeks
Dull metallic green to dark violet adults, with a
yellow band across the middle of the elytra
Total life cycle is completed in one year
Chelidoniumcinctum Chloridolumalcamene
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)

4. Management
Pruneinfestedbranchescontaininggrubs
Plugfreshholeswithcottonsoakedinmonocrotophossolutionmixed
at5ml/20mlofwater.
Undertakestempaddingwithmonocrotophos2.5ml+2.5mlofwater.
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)

5. Citrus leaf miner, Phllocnistiscitrella, Gracillaridae,
Lepidoptera
2
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)
Distribution and Status: Eastern Asia, North Australia and India.Seriousin Tamil Nadu, Madhya
Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Pakistan.
Damagesymptoms
Larvaminesintothetenderleavesandform
zig-zaggallerieswhilefeedingonthe
epidermalcellsleavingbehindtheremaining
leaftissuesquiteintact.Theinfestedleaves
turnpale,getdistortedanddryup.
Thelarvaldamagemayleadtosecondary
infectionbyfungiandbacteriacausing‘citrus
canker’.

6. Adult tiny, silvery
white moth with 4.3
mm wing expanse
with fringed wings.
Bionomics
Female lays 36-76 eggs, 2-3 per
leaf. Egg period 2-10 days.
Larva pale yellow / pale green with light brown well
developed mandibles, larval period 5-30 days.
By the time larvae spin cocoons for
pupation, leaves get twisted / folded
over; pupal period 5-25 days
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)

7. Management
Spray NSKE 5% (50 g/L) or neem cake extract 5% or neem oil 3 % or
Imidacloprid17.8 SL 125 ml per ha
Spray dichlorvos76 WSC 1.0 L, dimethoate2 .0 L per ha
Use 5-15 L of water per tree/1500-2000 L of water per ha
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)

8. Citrus butterfly, Papiliodemoleus, P. polytes,
Papilionidae, Lepidoptera
3
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)
Distribution and Status: All over the world Africa, greater part of Asia, Thailand and Japan.
Host range: Citrus and other Rutaceaeplants. Eg.Aegle marmelos
Damagesymptoms
Theyounglarvaefoundonthe
uppersurfaceofleaves,feedingon
theleaflaminafrommarginto
midrib.
Grownuplarvaefeedonmatured
leavesandcauseseveredefoliation
oftheentireplant.

9. Female lays 183 pale or greenish yellow eggs in
groups of 2-3 eggs on leaves, egg period 6-8 days.
Early instar resemble bird droppings.
Grown up larvae yellowish green with horn like structure on the dorsal side of the last body
segment. Larval period 8-16 days in summer and four weeks during November to December.
Larvae eat their own exuviaeafter each moult.
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)

10. Adult with black head and thorax, creamy yellow
coloration on the underside of the abdomen, wings
dull black, ornamented with yellow markings and
black clubbed antenna.
Full grown larva spins a girdle
around its body and pupates on a
twig, pupal period 8-11 days. Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)

11. Management
•Handpickvariousstagesofthepestinnurseriesnew
orchards.
•Sprayentomopathogens,Bacillusthuringiensis1g/L
nematodeDD-136strain
•SprayNeemseedextract3%.
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)

12. Fruit sucking moth, Eudocimamaterna, E. fullonica,
E. homoena, Noctuidae, Lepidoptera
4
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)
Distribution and status:India, Burma, Sri Lanka, China, Pakistan, Japan, Indonesia, Korea
Symptom of damage
Adult moth sucks the sap from fruits by making puncture
Male FemaleEudocimamaterna
E. fullonica
E. homoena

13. Management
•Removalofweedplants
•Tinosporacardifolia
•Cocculuspendules
•Cocculushirsutus
•Destructionoffallenanddecayedfruits.
•Smoking
•Collectionofmothsateveningbyhandnets
•Collectionofsemiloopersfromtheweedsandcreepers
•Uselighttrap-Destructioninkerosinisedwaterbelowsuchlight
•Useofpoisonbaitsorcarbaryl2g/l
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)
Eudocimamaternalarva

14. Rust mite, Phyllocoptrutaoleivora, Eriophyidae,
Acarina
5
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)
Host-range and distribution: This species has been reported as a serious pest of citrus in different parts of the world
Damage symptoms
Feeding by nymphs and adults cause
silvery, scaly, and rusty black discolouration
on the fruits
Fruits on the upper branches are more
preferred than those on lower branches.
Mites prefer lemon than other citrus species

15. Psyllid, Diaphorinacitri, Psyllidae, Hemiptera6
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)
Distribution and Status: America, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Japan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia and China
Damagesymptoms
Bothnymphsandadultssuck
cellsapfromleaves,which
curlup,dryandfalloff

16. Adult minute with
long wings that
extend beyond tip of
abdomen, wings and
body covered with a
white waxy powder.
Female lays 200 eggs singly on the
underside of soft young leaves, egg
period 7-10 days
Nymph pale yellow,
with purple eyes and
marginally fringed
with bristles, nymphal
period 25-71 days.
Pupa broad oval, pale yellow with an
orange yellow band in the middle of
body. Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)

17. Management
• Prune the affected trees and dried shoots.
• Conserve natural enemies like parasitoisTetrastichusradiates and predators like
Coccinellaseptumpunctata, C. rependa, Chilomenessexmaculata, Chilocorus
nigritus, Brumussuturalis, Chrysoperlacarnea.
• Spray any of the insecticides viz., NSKE 5 %, neem oil 10 L, dimethoate30 EC 3.0
L, methyl demeton25 EC 2.5 L, imidacloprid200 SL 250 ml in 1500-2000 L of water
per ha during March and again in September.
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)

18. Black fly, Aleurocanthuswoglumi, Aleurodidae,
Hemiptera
7
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)
Distribution and Status: Sikkim, India, Srilanka, Philippines, Jamaica, Cuba and Bahamas
Damage symptoms
Nymphs and adults suck plant
sap, causing curling of leaves and
premature fall of flower buds and
developing fruits

19. Adults dark orange with smoky wings, forewings
having four whitish areas of irregular shape.
Yellowish brown oval eggs, laid
spirally, egg period, 7-14 days.
Nymphs scale like, shiny black, spiny and bearded
by a white fringe of wax, nymphalperiod 38-60 days.
Pupa oval, black with arched
dorsum having long black
spines and round black teeth. Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)

20. Aphids, Toxopteracitricidus, T. aurantii, Aphididae,
Hemiptera
8
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)
Distribution and status: Found in all citrus growing regions. Minor pest
Damagesymptoms
Nymphsandadultssucksapfromplant
partscausingthecurlingup,deformation,
yellowingandcrinklingoftendershoots
resultinginstuntedgrowth.Blossomsand
newlysetfruitsalsoaffected.Honeydew
secretedbytheaphidsactsassubstrate
forsootymouldgrowth.

21. Adult are wingless and shiny black, nymphs dark reddish brown. Nymphs of brown aphid
give out yellow haemolymphand black aphid red haemolymphon squashing
Management
Release of coccinellidpredator, Menochilussexmaculatus@ 50 per tree.
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)

22. Scale insect, Lepidosaphesbeckii, Diaspididae,
Hemiptera
9
Dr. U. Pirithiraj, P.hD. (Entomology)
Small insects attach themselves to leaves, fruits and small
branches and cause injury by sucking the tree's