Pests and Their Management in Litchi

Nearly 42 insect species and mite pests have been reported to attack litchi trees and fruits in different stages of growth. Fruit borers, stink bugs, nut borer, leaf rollers and mites are the important pests affecting litchi production. The pests of litchi including the litchi fruit borers Conopomorpha sinensis and C. litchiella; bark-eating caterpillar Indarbela tetraonis and Indarbela quadrinotata; leaf roller Dudua aprobola; litchi looper Perixera illepidaria; green looper Thalassodes pilaria; bag worm Eumeta crameri; shoot borer Chlumetia transversa; leaf miner Acrocercops heirocosma; leaf-cutting weevils Myllocerus undatus, Myllocerus discolor, M. delicatulus, M. undecimpustulatus, M. dorsatus, Amblyrrhinus poricollis and Apoderus blandus; litchi stink bugs Tessaratoma javanica, Tessaratoma papillosa and T. quadrata; lac insect Kerria lacca and K. albizziae; thrips Dolicothrips indicus, Megalurothrips usitatus and M. distalis; litchi nut borer Blastobasis sp.; and the litchi erineum mite Aceria litchii are reported as key pests. Other pests included are the lepidopterans of litchi including Deudorix epijarbas Moore, Deudorix isocrates, Statherotis discana, Tortrix epicyrta, Olethreutes leucaspis, Cryptophlebia carpophaga, and almond moth Ephestia cautella, Zeuzera coffeae and Anisodes illepidaria, Procometis spoliatrix, Selepa celtis, Sympis rufibasis, Oenospila quadraria and O. veraria. The other coleopteran pests reported to cause damage on litchi in India are Deporaus marginatus, shot hole borer Xyleborus fornicates and Carpophilus obsoletus, Cryptocephalus insubidus, Diapromorpha melanopus and D. quadripunctata. The other sucking pests include aphid Toxoptera aurantii, Drosicha mangiferae and D. dalbergiae, Parasaittia coffeae and Parlatoria pseudopyri, Chloropulvinaria psidii and Ceroplastes pseudoceriferus, Planococcus litchi and Geococcus radicum, Gargara varicolor, Chrysocoris stolli and Halys dentatus. The red ant Oecophylla smaragdina is a source of nuisance in litchi plants.