False Codling Moth

Scientific Name:Thaumatotibia leucotreta

Identification and Damage

• FCM adult are small in size, 7-9mm in length and a wing span of 15 to 16mm for males and 19 to 20mm for females.
• The moths are nocturnal (fly at night).
• The colour varies from brown, grey, black with brown-orange markings.
• The adult lay eggs on the fruits surface which hatch, penetrate and develop with the avocado. This creates tunnels on the fruit and larvae leaves frass (Faecal material) at the exit point. The fruits become unmarketable.
• Fifth instar (Final instar) exists the fruit and pupate on the ground in the top layers of the soil.

Solution

Thrips

Scientific Name:Scirtothrips perseae

Identification and Damage

• Adult thrips are small in size, up to 3mm long, black or dark-brown in colour with fringed wings.
• Nymphs are yellow in colour with dark piercing and sucking mouthparts that extend up to 3mm in length.
• The nymph body is cylindrical with rounded ends.
• Thrips feed by piercing and sucking of plant sap mostly on the young fruits.
• They leave silver/bronze marking on the leaves after feeding.
• Under heavy infestation; the plant turns withers and dry.
• The affected fruits develop a rough brown skin.

Solution

Scales

Scientific Name:Hemiberlesia lataniae

Identification and Damage

• Scales are in two groups: Armoured scales; Hard to control due to the protective shell around the body and does not secrete honey dew, and Soft scales; Secrete honeydew and easy to control.
• Scales are small in size, 3mm in length, always glued to the plant as they feed by sucking the plant sap.
• They are round in shape and colour varies from white, orange, brown, green to black according to different species.
• On the tree, they can be found on fruits, leaves, branches and on the stems.
• Through their feeding of plant sap by piercing and sucking, they deprive the plant essential nutrients, leading to chlorosis of the leaves, wilting and falling off. The plant eventually become stunted, with low and poor quality yields.
• Under heavy infestation, they secrete honey dew that promotes sooty mould growth on the surface of the plant. This interferes with photosynthesis.

Solution

Fruit-fly

Scientific Name:Bactrocera invades

Identification and Damage

• Adult Mango fruit-flies small in size, 4-7mm in length.
• They have blight colours with brown to yellow markings, wings have spots with brown margins and a conspicuous T-shaped mark at the back of the abdomen.
• They lay eggs on fruit surface leading to premature fruit fall.
• Larvae are white in colour and feed on the fresh of the fruit leading to fruit rot.
• The maggot exits the fruit and fall to the ground to pupate in the soil at a depth of about 5cm.
• Pupae are 4-12mm in length, the colour may vary from white, brown to black.

Solution

Mealy Bug

Scientific Name:Phenacoccus ssp.

Identification and Damage

• Mealybugs are soft bodied, 2-3mm long and covered with white wax or cottony-look on the surface of the mango leaves, fruits and stem.
• They feed on plant sap and excrete honey dew that promote growth of sooty mould on the surface of the plant.
• Sooty mould interferes with the rate of photosynthesis lowering the yield and quality of avocados.

Solution

Spider-Mites

Scientific Name:Oligonychus spp.

Identification and Damage

• Red spider mites are small, reddish to pale-orange in colour.
• Eggs are whitish in colour, spherical in shape and are laid on the underside of the leaves singly.
• Eggs hatch into six legged nymphs, which are pink in colour.
• They live on the underside of the leaves where they spin protective web.
• The destructive stage feed by piercing and sucking plant sap.
• Under heavy infestation, the leaves desiccate and fall off.

Solution

Coconut bug, stinky bug

Scientific Name:Theraptus spp., Pseudotheraptus wayi

Identification and Damage

• Coconut bugs are brown in colour with a length of 10-15mm.
• The nymph stage is red brown to green brown colour with long antenna.
• The adult and nymph stage feed on avocado fruit which results to a necrotic bruise on the fruit.
• Stink bugs have a characteristic unpleasant smell, shield like in shape and the size varies, from 6-15mm.
• They feed on fruits at developing stage resulting to spots and fruit deformation.

Solution

Western flower thrips

Scientific Name:Frankliniella occidentalis

Identification and Damage

• Adult thrips are small in size, up to 3mm long, shiny black, brown, orange in colour with clear wings.
• The larvae are cream or brown in colour with dark piercing and sucking mouthparts that extend up to 3mm in length.
• Pupae stage are small in size, brown in colour and cylindrical shaped body with rounded ends.
• Thrips feeds by piercing and sucking of plant sap.
• Through their feeding, they leave scars and blemishes on the leaves/pods.
• Under heavy infestation; the plant becomes stunted, flowers abort, leaves/apical shoot and pods develop deformities. Pods becomes unmarketable.

Solution

NB:Attracker 1-2ml per liter of spray- a sugar solution (fructose, glucose, saccharose) which act as a lure for the thrips.

Spider mites

Scientific Name:Tetranychus urticae

Identification and Damage

• Adult red spider mites are tiny, reddish to pale-orange in colour.
• Eggs are whitish in colour, spherical in shape and are laid on the underside of the leaves singly.
• Eggs hatch into six legged nymphs, which are pink in colour.
• They live on the underside of the leaves where they spin protective web.
• The destructive stage feed by piercing and sucking plant sap which causes silvery to brownish marks on the leaves.
• They form cobwebs on the surface of the leaves.
• Under heavy infestation, the plant wilt and die off.

Solution

Whiteflies

Scientific Name:Bemisia tabaci

Identification and Damage

• Whiteflies are small insect pest, 1- 3mm in length.
• At rest mode, the wings form a V-shape around the body.
• Nymphs are whitish in colour, oval in shape and scale-like body cover.
• White powdery cloud around the plant under heavy infestation.
• Whiteflies feed by piercing and sucking plant sap.
• Under heavy infestation, crop become stunted.
• Whiteflies promote growth of sooty mould on the leaf surface from the honeydew excretes.

Solution

Black bean Aphids

Scientific Name:FAphis fabae and Aphis craccicora

Identification and Damage

• They are small (1.5-3.0mm), soft bodied and six legged insect.
• Aphids are dark brown in colour and can be winged or wingless.
• Aphids feeds by piercing and sucking plant sap.
• Under heavy infestation, they cause the leaves to have wrinkles, plant becomes stunted and deformed.
• Heavy attack can cause decreased flowering and pod formation
• They promote growth of sooty mould from the honeydew excretes.
• Aphids vector/transmit viral diseases such as; Bean Common Mosaic Virus.

Solution

Beanfly

Scientific Name:Ophiomyia phaseoli

Identification and Damage

• Adult beanfly is a small, shiny, metallic blue to black in colour, 2mm in length and clear wings.
• Larvae are white-yellow in colour and about 3mm in length.
• Pupae are small, 2-3mm in length and cylindrical in shape with rounded ends.
• Infested beans become pale yellow on the leaf surface, stunted growth and the stem are cracked at the base of the plant. This is due to ovipositioning and feeding by the adult.
• Leaf drop under heavy infestation.
• Mines develops as the larvae emerges from the leaf.
• Swelling at the base of the beans as larvae move to the lower stem.
• Under heavy infestation, the plant collapses, wilt and die off.

Solution

Cutworm

Identification and Damage

• Fully grown larvae measure 1-1.75 inches in length, can be either black or variegated cutworms.
• When disturbed, they coil into C-shaped position.
• They cut young plants at the base or near the soil level.
• It can go up the crop to feed on the foliage, forming ragged punctures on the leaves.

Solution

Fall Army Worms (FAW)

Scientific Name:Spodoptera frugiperda

Identification and Damage

• The fall armyworm caterpillars are green, brown or black in colour depending on development stage.
• A mature caterpillar has a distinct white line between the eyes, which form an inverted “Y” pattern on the face.
• There are pronounced four black spots aligned in a square on the top of the 8th segment near the back end of the caterpillar.
• Broad, pale band along top of body, contrasted by dark stripping at the sides.
• Most conspicuous damage puncture holes on the leaves and the funnel.
• Edges that are ragged after larvae feeding.
• Frass (Larvae faecal material) on the funnel and leave surface.
• Death under heavy infestation on young plant (dead heart).

Solution

Maize stalk Borer

Scientific Name:Busseola fusca

Identification and Damage

• Holes and puncture windows on the leaves of young plants.
• Small pink or dark in colour caterpillars on the funnel.
• Dead-heart under severe attack.
• Frass (Larvae faecal material) on the stem and the funnel.
• Exit holes on the stem with frass at the entry point from the older caterpillars feeding activities.
• Weak stem and breakages from mining of the caterpillars.

Solution

Thrips

Scientific Name:Scirtothrips mangiferae, Selenothrips rubrocinctus; Scirtothrips aurantii

Identification and Damage

• Adult thrips are small in size, up to 3mm long, shiny black, brown, orange in colour with clear wings.
• Nymphs are cream or brown in colour with dark piercing and sucking mouthparts that extend up to 3mm in length.
• The nymph body is cylindrical with rounded ends.
• Thrips feed by piercing and sucking of plant sap.
• They leave silver/bronze marking on the leaves after feeding.
• Under heavy infestation; the plant becomes stunted, flowers abort, leaves/apical shoot and fruits develop deformities.

Solution

Spider mites

Scientific Name:Tetranychus urticae

Identification and Damage

• Red spider mites are small, reddish to pale-orange in colour.
• Eggs are whitish in colour, spherical in shape and are laid on the underside of the leaves singly.
• Eggs hatch into six legged nymphs, which are pink in colour.
• They live on the underside of the leaves where they spin protective web.
• The destructive stage feed by piercing and sucking plant sap.
• Under heavy infestation, the leaves desiccate and fall off.

Solution

Aphids

Scientific Name:Aphis gossypii

Identification and Damage

• They are small (2mm), soft bodied and six legged insect.
• Aphids can be winged or wingless.
• Aphids causes leaf curl.
• They promote growth of sooty mould from the honeydew excrete on the leaf, stem and fruit surface.

Solution

Mealybugs

Scientific Name:Rastrococcus iceryoides (Rastrococcus invadens)

Identification and Damage

• Mealybugs are soft bodied, 2-3mm long and covered with white wax or cottony-look on the surface of the mango leaves, fruits and stem.
• They feed on plant sap and excrete honey dew that promote growth of sooty mould on the surface of the plant.
• Sooty mould interferes with the rate of photosynthesis lowering the yield and quality of mango.

Solution

Mango gallfly

Scientific Name:Erosomyia mangiferae

Identification and Damage

• Mango gallfly is a major pest in mango farming.
• Mango gallfly is 1-2mm in length with long legs and antenna.
• The fly lay eggs on mango leaves which hatches and barrow into the leave tissues for nourishment.
• They develop inside a small gall (pimple like swelling on the surface of the leaves).
• Once mature, they drop to the ground to pupate leaving an exit puncture on the leaves.
• The exit wounds act as entry points for fungal diseases.
• Under heavy infestation, the leaves curl and may prematurely fall off leading to defoliation of mango tree.

Solution

Mango seed weevil/Mungo nut weevil/Mango stone weevil

Scientific Name:Sternochetus mangiferae

Identification and Damage

• It is a major pest in mango growing areas.
• The adult weevils 8mm long are dark/brown with grey markings on its body.
• They have a pronounced snout used for feeding.
• The adult lay eggs on the distal end of the young fruit, eggs hatch into larvae and burrow inside through the fresh to the seed.
• When eggs are laid early development stage of the mango, it leads to fruit drop.
• Infestation at later stages, the entry point forms a C-shaped scar, adult emerge and leave an exit hole which act as entry for secondary fungal infection.
• Pupation takes place within the seed.
• Adult usually feed on leaves, shoots and flower buds.

Solution

Mango Scales

Scientific Name:Aulacaspis tubercularis, Ceroplastes spp., Coccus spp.

Identification and Damage

• Mango scales are in two groups: Armoured scales; Hard to control due to the protective shell around the body and does not secrete honey dew, and Soft scales; Secrete honeydew and easy to control.
• Scales are small in size, 3mm in length, always glued to the plant as they feed by sucking the plant sap.
• They are round in shape and colour varies from white, orange, brown, green to black according to different species.
• On a mango tree, scales can be found on fruits, leaves, branches and on the stems.
• Through their feeding of plant sap by piercing and sucking, they deprive the plant essential nutrients, leading to chlorosis of the leaves, wilting and falling off. The plant eventually become stunted, with low and poor quality yields.
• Under heavy infestation, they secrete honey dew that promotes sooty mould growth on the surface of the plant. This interferes with photosynthesis.

Solution

Mango fruitfly

Scientific Name:Bactrocera invadens, Ceratitis cosyra

Identification and Damage

• Adult Mango fruit-flies small in size, 4-7mm in length.
• They have blight colours with brown to yellow markings, wings have spots with brown margins.
• They lay eggs on almost ripe mango fruit just below the skin.
• Larvae are white in colour and feed on the fresh of the fruit leading to fruit rot.
• The maggot exits the fruit after 4-17 days and fall to the ground to pupate in the soil at a depth of about 5cm.
• Pupae are 4-12mm in length, the colour may vary from white, brown to black. Adult fruit-flies emerge after 10-20 days after pupation which is dependent on weather conditions.

Solution

Whiteflies

Scientific Name:Frankliniella occidentalis

Identification and Damage

• Whiteflies are small insect pest, 1.5mm in length.
• They have v-shaped wings when closed around the body.
• White powdery cloud around the plant under heavy infestation.
• Whiteflies feed by piercing and sucking plant sap.
• Stunted/poor growth results under heavy infestation.
• The transmit/vector Tomato yellow leaf curl virus.
• Whiteflies promote growth of sooty mould from the honeydew excrete.

Solution

Aphids

Scientific Name:Aphis gossypii

Identification and Damage

• They are small (2mm), soft bodied and six legged insect.
• Aphids can be winged or wingless.
• Aphids causes leaf curl.
• They promote growth of sooty mould from the honeydew excrete.
• Aphids vector/transmit viral diseases such as; Potato virus Y, tomato yellow top viruses, cucumber mosaic and tobacco etch virus.

Solution

Nematodes

Solution

Potato tuber moth

Scientific Name:Phthorimaea operculella

Solution

Colorado potato beetle

Scientific Name:Leptinotarsa decemlineata

Solution

Rice stem borer (Pink stem borer, stalked eyed fly, white stem borer, stripped stem borer)

Identification and Damage

• The damage can be identified by the presence of ‘dead heart’ dying of the central shoot in young plants or ‘white head’ panicle dying in older plants.

Solution

Rice whorl maggots and rice leaf miners

Identification and Damage

• The damage is characterised by whitish area on the leaf blade margins.
• Stunted and deformed tillers from the damage.
• Leaf blade breaking off from the plant due to the damage.

Solution

Tomato leaf miner

Scientific Name:Tuta absoluta

Identification and Damage

• Eggs are small in size, cylindrical shaped, colour varies from yellow to cream-white.
• Larva is cream in colour, black head which changes to light pink or greenish colour as from the second to fourth instars.
• Larval size ranges from 0.9mm -first instar to 7.5 mm long- fourth instar. Tuta absoluta takes 13 to 15 days from the first to the fourth instar.
• Pupa is brown in colour, takes 9 to 11 days to pupate.
• Adult is a nocturnal moth, 10mm long with a rod-shaped appearance when wings are closed. Wings span ranges from 11mm to 13mm.
• Tuta absoluta reproduces rapidly, with 10-17 generations per year.
• The total life cycle is completed within 21-35 days.
• Female adult can lay up to 260 eggs before completing it life cycle.
• Egg hatching takes place 4-6 days after egg laying.
• Most distinct damage is blotch-shaped mines on the leaves left after the larvae feeds on the mesophyll tissues, leaving the epidermis intact.
• Puncture marks on the fruits with some exit holes.
• Fruit rot due to secondary infection from opportunistic causal agents.
• Clustered apical stem and flowers with faecal material from the larvae.

Solution

Spider mites

Scientific Name:Tetranychus urticae

Identification and Damage

• Tomato red spider mites are small, reddish to pale-orange in colour.
• Eggs are whitish in colour, spherical in shape and are laid on the underside of the leaves singly.
• Eggs hatch into six legged nymphs, which are pink in colour.
• They live on the underside of the leaves where they spin protective web.
• The destructive stage feed by piercing and sucking plant sap.
• Under heavy infestation, the plant wilt and die off.

Solution

Aphids

Scientific Name:Aphis gossypii

Identification and Damage

• They are small (2mm), soft bodied and six legged insect.
• Aphids can be winged or wingless.
• Aphids causes leaf curl.
• They promote growth of sooty mould from the honeydew excrete.
• Aphids vector/transmit viral diseases such as; Potato virus Y, tomato yellow top viruses, cucumber mosaic and tobacco etch virus.

Solution

White flies

Scientific Name:Bemisia tabaci

Identification and Damage

• Whiteflies are small insect pest, 1.5mm in length.
• They have v-shaped wings when closed around the body.
• White powdery cloud around the plant under heavy infestation.
• Whiteflies feed by piercing and sucking plant sap.
• Stunted/poor growth results under heavy infestation.
• The transmit/vector Tomato yellow leaf curl virus.
• Whiteflies promote growth of sooty mould from the honeydew excrete.

Solution

Thrips

Scientific Name:Frankliniella occidentalis

Identification and Damage

• Adult thrips are small in size, up to 3mm long, shiny black, brown, orange in colour with clear wings.
• Nymphs are cream or brown in colour with dark piercing and sucking mouthparts that extend up to 3mm in length.
• The body is cylindrical with rounded ends.
• Thrips feed by piercing and sucking of plant sap.
• They leave silver/bronze marking on the leaves after feeding.
• Under heavy infestation; the plant becomes stunted, flowers abort, leaves/apical shoot and fruits develop deformities.
• Transmit/vectors for Tomato spotted wilt virus.

Solution

Nematodess

Solution

Aphids

Scientific Name:Diuraphis noxia

Identification and Damage

• They are small (2mm), soft bodied and six legged insect.
• Aphids can be winged or wingless.
• They are light green in colour, elongated in shape, with double tails at the distal end.
• They cause damage on the leaves, flowers as they feed on plant sap as well as inject toxin which causes yellowing of the plant, stunted growth and reduced vigour.
• It is also known to transmit Brome Mosaic Virus, Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus and Barley Stripe Mosaic Virus.

Solution