INSECTS & PESTS OF

GUAVA & PAPAYA

Prepared by – Sneha Shukla

Year & Sem – 2nd year, 2nd sem
College ID - 20222612
GUAVA :
 BOTANICAL NAME – Psidium guajava
 FAMILY – Mrytaceae
 CHROMOSOME NO. – 2n = 22, 33
 ORIGIN – Central America

More than 80 species of insects and mites have been recorded in guava trees
affecting growth and yield. However in India, the major pests are polyphagous pest
like tea mosquito bug, fruit flies, fruit borers, bark eating caterpillars mealy bug and
introduced pest namely spiraling white fly.
Major insect pests of guava
INSECT SCIENTIFIC NAME ORDER FAMILY
TEA MOSQUITO BUG Helopeltis antonii Hemiptera Miridae

FRUIT FLY Bactrocera diversus Diptera Tephritidae

FRUIT BORER Duodorix Isocrates, Lepidoptera Lyceanidae

Raaepala varuna
CASTOR CAPSULE Dichocrocis Lepidoptera Pyraustidae
BORER punctieferalis
MEALY BUG Ferrisia virgate, Hemiptera Pseudococcidae
Masconellicoccus
hirsutus
SPIRALING Aleurodicus Hemiptera Aleyrodidae
WHITEFLY dispersus
BARK Indarbela tetraonis Lepidoptera Metarbelidae
CATERPILLAR
SCARLET MITE Brevipaplus Acari Tenuipalpidae
phoenicus
Minor insect pests of Guava
Insect Scientific name Order Family

Aphids Aphis gossypii Hemiptera Aphididae

Guava scale Chloropulivinaria psidii Hemiptera Coccidae

White fly Aleurotuberculatus psidii Hemiptera Aleyrodidae

Thrips Selenothrips rubrocinctus Hemiptera Thripidae

1. Tea mosquito bug: Helopeltis antonii (Hemiptera :
Miridae)

Distribution and status: Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu

Host range: Guava, cashew, tea, moringa, neem and others

Damage symptoms
Adults and nymphs feed on petioles tender shoots and leaf veins causing necrotic lesions, coalesce to form
patches. On foliage, brownish-black necrotic patches appear and resin exudes from feeding punctures. Blisters
and scales / rusty corky growth /scab formation on fruits, widespread drying of shoots, inflorescence and flowers
and shedding of fruits is witnessed .

Bionomics
Female inserts 32 eggs into epidermis of tender shoot, axis of inflorescence and tender fruits, egg period 7-8
days, eggs elongated and slightly curved with a pair of filaments. Nymphal period 14-16 days. Life cycle
completed in 22-25 days.

Management
• Undertake pruning to regulate the shade to facilitate proper penetration of sunlight inside the canopy.
• Monocrotophos 36 WSC @ 2.5 L in 1500 – 2000 L water per ha at new flush formation.
• Spray endosulfan 35 EC or carbaryl 50 WP @ 2.5 kg in 1500 – 2000 L water per ha + Urea 3% at flower
initiation again at fruiting time.
2. Fruit fly: Bactrocera diversus (Diptera :
Tephritidae)

Distribution and status: All guava orchards throughout the country.

Host range: Guava, Tomato and other commercial fruits.

Damage symptoms: Maggots bore into fruits and feed on soft pulp. The infested fruits
show small cavities with dark greenish punctures and when cut open, the wriggling
maggots are seen inside. The infestation causes rotting and dropping of fruits .

Bionomics :Eggs laid on soft skin of fruits and egg period 1-4 days. Maggot pale cream,
cylindrical, 5-8 mm in length, larval period 4-5 days. Maggot pupates in soil,
pupal period 7 - 13 days. Adult smoky brown with greenish black thorax having
yellow marking.
Management
• Collect and destroy the damaged plant parts.
• Summer plough to expose and kill pupae.
• Harvest the fruits when slightly hard and green.
• Spray fenvalerate 20 EC 1 L or endosulfan 35 EC or malathion 50 EC 2 L in 1500 –
2000 L of water per ha.
• Rake the soil around the tree and apply lindane dust 1.3 D @ 25 kg per ha
 3. Fruit borer : Duodorix isocrates, Rapala varuna (Lepidoptera :
Lycaenidae)
Distribution and status: All over India.

Host range: Aonla, apple, ber, citrus, guava, litchi, loquat, peach, mulberry, pear, sapota, tamarind

Damage symptoms
Larvae bore inside the developing fruits and feed on pulp and seeds just before the rind exhibiting
round bore holes on fruit. Infested fruits are also attacked by bacteria and fungi, which ultimately fall
off and give an offensive smell.
Bionomics
Shiny, white, oval shaped eggs laid singly on calyx of flowers and on tender fruits. Egg period 7-
10 days, larval period 18-47 days. Caterpillar, dark brown, having short hairs and white patches
all over the body. Larvae pupates inside fruit but occasionally outside even, attaching
themselves to stalk of fruits, pupal period 7-34 days. Male glossy, bluish violet, female brownish
violet with an orange patch on forewings. Four generations completed in a year
Management
•Collect and destroy damaged fruits
•Clean cultivation as weed plants serve as alternate hosts
•Endemic areas - grow less susceptible varieties
•Adopt ETL (5 eggs/plant)
•Cover the fruit with polythene bags when the fruits are up to 5 cm
•Use light trap @ 1/ ha to monitor the activity of adults
•Insecticides: malathion 50 EC 0.1% or dimethoate 30 EC 0.06%, two rounds, one at flower
formation and next at fruit set.
•Flowering stage - spray NSKE 5% or neem formulations 2 ml/1
•Apply dimethoate 30 EC 1.5 ml/1.
•Release Trichogramma chilonis at one lakh/acre.
4. Castor capsule borer: Conogethes
punctiferalis (Lepidoptera : Pyraustidae)
Distribution and status: South India (Major)

Host range: Cardamom, castor, jack, guava

Damage symptoms
Larva bores into the young fruits which dry up and fall prematurely, bore holes plugged with
excreta.
Bionomics
Eggs laid on top leaf axils, inflorescence, tender part of plant and fruits, egg period 6-
7 days. Larva pale reddish brown with numerous tubercles on body. Larval period 12-
16 days. Pupation inside the fruit in a silken cocoon, pupal period 4-11 days. Medium
sized bright orange-yellow color has numerous f black dots on wings. Life cycle
completed in 25-33 days.

Management
Collect and destroy the damaged plant parts.
Use light trap 1/ha to monitor the activity of adults.
Spray malathion 50 EC at 3 L or endosulfan 3 L or dimethoate 30 EC 3 L in
1500 – 2000 L water per ha, two rounds, one at flower formation and next at
fruit set.
5. Spiraling whitefly: Aleurodicus
dispersus (Hemiptera : Aleyrodidae)
Distribution and status
It is an introduced polyphagous pest of vegetables, fruit trees, ornamentals and
shade trees. It is native of the Caribbean Islands and Central America. It is widely
distributed in almost all countries due to rapid dispersal and adaptability.

Host range
It is found on 128 plants including guava, cassava, cotton, chillies, tomato, brinjal, bhendi,
papaya, crotons and weeds such as Euphorbia, Corchorus, Eclipta, Vernonia, Vicoa, Acalypha,
Alternanthra, Amaranthus, Convolvulus, Abutilonetc.

Bionomics
Adults are larger than many of the whitefly species and white in colour with waxy coating on the
body. Eyes are dark reddish brown. Fore wings are with three characteristic spots. Eggs are laid
in a spiraling pattern (concentric circles) on the undersurface of leaves. Egg period lasts for 5-8
days. Nymphal period is 22-30 days. Adult longevity is for 13-21 days. Total life cycle is
completed in 40-50 days.
Adults and nymphs congregate heavily on the lower surface of leaf, suck the sap and cause
pre-mature leaf drop, chlorosis, yellow speckling, crinkling and curling. Honey dew secretion
also leads to the development of sooty mould fungus. The copious white, waxy flocculent
material secreted by all the stages of the pest is readily spread by wind and thus cause public
nuisance. It is also a suspected vector of mycoplasma disease, lethal yellowing in coconut.
Integrated Pest Management
• Remove and destroy weed plants like Abutilon, Acalypha, Euphorbia, etc., in the nearby vicinity as
these plants are alternate hosts.
• Use yellow sticky traps at 15/ha to attract and kill the adults
• Release Chrysoperla carnea predators at 10000/ha to kill all life stages
• Encourage the activity of predators such as Encarsia and Coccinellids, Chilocorus nigrita,
Chilomenus sexmaculatus, etc.
• Remove and destroy damaged leaves along with life stages.
• Spray Fish oil rosin soap (FORS) 25g/L or NSKE 5% or neem oil 0.03% 1ml/l or phosalone 35 EC 3 L
or triazophos 40 EC 3 L or acephate 75 SP 1.5 kg in 1500 -2000 L per ha., two to three times
based on the incidence.
• Avoid using synthetic pyrethroids and extending crop growth.
• Conserve spiraling whitefly parasitoids, Encarsia haitiensis and E. guadeloupae.
PAPAYA :
 BOTANICAL NAME: Carica papaya
 FAMILY : Caricaceae
 CHROMOSOME NO. : 2n=18
 ORIGIN: Southern Mexico and Central
America.
Insect pests of papaya :

Insect Scientific name Order Family

WHITE FLY Bemisia tabaci Hemiptera Aleyrodidae

FRUIT FLY Bactrocera dorsalis Diptera Tephritidae

ASH WEEVIL Myllocerus spp Coleoptera Curculionidae

GREEN PEACH Myzus persicae Hemiptera Aphididae

APHID
White fly : Bemisia tabaci
 Symptoms of damage :
• Nymphs and adults suck the sap from undersurface of the leaves.
• Yellowing of leaves.

 Identification of pest :
• Egg – pear shaped, light yellowish
• Nymph – oval, scale-like, greenish white settle downon 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 200 SL at 0.01% or triazophos 40 EC
• 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
 Fruit fly : Bactrocera dorsalis
 Symptoms of damage
• Maggots puncture into semi ripe fruits with decayed spots.
• Oozing of fluid and brownish rotten patches on the fruits.
• Dropping of fruits.

 identification of pest larvae

• Egg – pear shapped, 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 EC2ml/lit or malathion 50 EC 2 ml/lit.

• Field release of natural enemies like Opius compensates and Spalangia phillipinrs.
adult
Ash weevil : Myllocerus spp
 Symptoms of damage
• Grub feed on the roots.
• Wilting of young saplings.
• Notching of leaf margin by adults.

 Identification of pest
• Grub – small, apodous.
• Adult – greenish white with dark lines on elytra.

 Management
• Collect and destroy the adults.
• Spray carbaryl 50 WP at 2g/lit.
Green peach aphid : Myzus persicae
 Symptoms of damage
• Nymphs and adults suck the sap from leaves, petioles and fruits.
• Leaf curling and falling
• Premature fruit drop.

 Identification of pest
• Adult – dark brown to chocolate brown coour.

 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 septupunctata
REFERENCES :

 https://agritech.tnau.ac.in/crop_protection/crop_prot_crop_insectpest%2
0_-
papaya.html
 http://eagri.org/eagri50/ENTO331/lecture19/guava.html
 https://
www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter-Follett/publication/235246562_Pests_
of_papaya/links/5bfd93a692851c78dfafa28e/Pests-of-papaya
THANKYOU