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The most serious pests are mealybugs that feed on citrus. Other species damage sugarcane, grapes, pineapple (Jahn et al. 2003), coffee trees, cassava, ferns, cacti, gardenias, papaya, mulberry, sunflower and orchids. Mealybugs only tend to be serious pests in the presence of ants because the ants protect them from predators and parasites. [2]
Leaves show a characteristic curling, similar to damage caused by viruses. Heavily infested plants have shortened internodes leading to resetting or a "bunchy top" appearance. A heavy, black, sooty mold may develop on an infested plant's leaves and stems as a result of the mealybug's heavy honey-dew secretions.
This leads to plant damage in the form of wilting and chlorosis of the foliage, leaf drop, stunted growth, and sometimes the death of the plant. Fruits such as oranges become lumpy and discolored when the insect feeds on them, and they may fall off the tree. Insects packed with harvested fruits continue to feed, causing more losses during shipping.
Mealybugs will move the tip of its rostrum onto the surface of the plant leaf or steam in order to feed. The stylet is then moved into the phloem, where nutrients are transported within the plant. Mealybugs will then suck the plants sap and excrete the excess sugary liquid through their short anal tube (Martin, 2019).
The papaya mealybug inserts its stylet into the epidermis of the leaf or the skin of fruit or stem and feeds on the plant sap. At the same time it injects a toxic substance into the plant which results in chlorosis , distortion, stunting, early leaf and fruit fall, the production of honeydew , sooty mould and possibly the death of the plant.
Lemon and citrus trees don’t require too much pruning in order for them to produce large volumes of fruit. However, pruning is still important because it can lower the risk of fungal issues ...
Another species of ant maintains a herd of scale insects inside the hollow stems of a Barteria tree; the scale insects feed on the sap and the ants, while benefiting from the honeydew, drive away other herbivorous insects from the tree as well as preventing vines from smothering it. [15] Cheilomenes sexmaculata preying on mealybugs
To do this, find an actively growing but slightly matured shoot on a lemon tree and cut a small section just below the leaf. Add rooting hormone to the cut to encourage growth.
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