Citrus

White Mango Scale

Aulacaspis tubercularis

Insect

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In a Nutshell

  • Chlorosis, defoliation, drying up of twigs, poor blossoming, fruit stunt and distortion.
  • Premature fruit drop.

Can also be found in

3 Crops
Citrus
Mango
Papaya

Citrus

Symptoms

Plants get injured through the sucking of plant saps on leaves, branches and fruits. Under heavy infestation, mango plants may experience chlorosis, defoliation, drying up of twigs, and poor blossoming leading to poor growth and development. Pink blemishes can be detected on the epidermis of ripe fruits that make them unappealing (cosmetic damage), leading to loss of market value, especially in the international export markets. The density of the pest positively influences the fruit yield losses.

Recommendations

Organic Control

The white mango scale had many natural enemies. Farmers could use attractants and nutritional supplements to increase mango white scale predators on the farms. Introducing more natural enemies is possible.

Chemical Control

Always consider an integrated approach with preventive measures along with biological treatments, if available. Apply pesticides regulated in your area and rotate the active ingredients applied, thus avoiding creating resistant populations. Keep in mind that the use of foliar insecticides against the white mango scale is less practical as most of the varieties grown are up to 20 m tall and are difficult to reach by ordinary spray equipment.

What caused it?

The damage is caused by the white mango scale, which is a sessile, armoured, tiny, shelled insect belonging to the order Hemiptera, family Diaspididae. The insect attacks the mango plant at all the growth stages from seedling to maturity. During feeding, the pest obtains the sap and injects toxins into the plant. The impacts could be higher during hot and dry weather than during rainy periods, especially on young seedlings and mango trees.

Preventive Measures

  • Select the appropriate field and a desirable variety.
  • Based on research from Asia and Africa, Ataulfo, Apple, Haden, and Keit mango varieties have been reported to be more tolerant to white mango scale when compared to other varieties such as Alphanso, Kent, Tommy Atkins and Dod.
  • Monitor the white scale fortnightly and prune the infested mango twigs.
  • Ensure optimum spacing so that plants do not compete for growth factors.
  • Pre-harvest fruit bagging can be applied as a physical protection method.

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