Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds - Mini Fact Sheet EditionBreadfruit (fluted scale) mealybug (184)
Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds - Mini Fact Sheet EditionBreadfruit (fluted scale) mealybug (184)
Summary
- Widespread distribution. Asia, Africa, Oceania. Principally breadfruit but also avocado, banana, citrus, jackfruit, mango, soursop, taro, and many others, including ornamentals. An important pest.
- Eggs laid into a sac producing “crawlers” that spread the pest. After a day, they settle down, feed, moult, becoming adult with 3-4 mm waxy processes.
- Damage done: (i) sucking sap, (ii) leaves turn black - fungi grow on honeydew excreted by mealybugs.
- Natural enemies: ladybird beetles (Rodolia) important
- Cultural control: prune infested stems, branches and fruits, and burn; add fertilizer, manure or compost to improve tree health; assist natural enemies: destroy ants nests (hot water), prune low branches, and weed.
- Chemical control: soap, white or horticultural oils; PDPs: neem, derris, pyrethrum, or chilli; if ants are present use synthetic pyrethroids. Priority is to remove ants to let natural enemies work.
Common Name
Breadfruit mealybug, Egyptian fluted scale, Egyptian mealybug
Scientific Name
Icerya aegyptiaca
AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
1Waterhouse DF (1993) Biological Control Pacific Prospects - Supplement 2. ACIAR Monograph No. 20. Brown Prior Anderson, Burwood, Victoria; and from CABI (2015) Icerya aegyptiaca. Crop Protection Compendium. (https://www.cabi.org.cpc/). Photo 1 Alessandra Rung, California Department of Food & Agriculture, Bugwood.org. Photo 2 Peter Ooi, Department of Agriculture & Food Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Tunku Abul Rahman, Jalan University, Malaysia.
Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
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