New record of Aleurocanthus terminaliae on mango.
Dharmendra Singh, Vennila S., Ramamurthy V. V., Ahuja D. B., Bambawale O. M.
Author Affiliation: NICRA Project, National Centre for IPM, LBS Building, Pusa Campus, New Delhi - 110 012, India.
Annals of Plant Protection Sciences 20 : 230-231
Abstract : A survey conducted during May 2011 in mango orchards in Nagar districts of Uttar Pradesh, India, led to the collection of an unrecorded species of blackfly, Aleurocanthus terminaliae (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), on mango. This is thought to be the first report of the blackfly on mango. Colonies of immature stages (nymphs and puparia) and adults of A. terminaliae were observed in large numbers at the ventral surface of the leaves. The colonies of the blackfly were found in patches within dense orchards and on foliage of trees with dense canopy. Insects were found feeding by sucking the nutrients from underside of foliage, and the honey dew excreted served as source for sooty mould development. Reduction in vigour and lesser fruit bearing of the blackfly-infested trees were evident compared to the healthy trees free of blackfly infestations. Infestations on fruits were nil although the pest occurrence coincided with the fruit ripening.