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Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds - Mini Fact Sheet Edition

Cocoa mirids (274)

Photo 1. Pseudodoniella species from Papua New Guinea. Note the "hump" on the back.

Photo 2. Pseudodoniella species, as in Photo 1. From above, showing details of the "hump".

Photo 3. Helopeltis sp. from Townsville, Australia. Long antennae, slender body and a spine on the plate between the forewings and behind the thorax distinguishes this insect from Pseudodoniella.

Summary

Narrow distribution. Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea. On cocoa, and many other crops. Important pests.
Eggs laid in cocoa pods. Pseudodoniella has hump, Helopeltis has long antennae, and a spine on the back. Direct damage is done when mirids feed on young and mature pods, and shoots, and indirectly allowing entry of fungi, causing rots and dieback.
Cultural control: avoid Leucaena shade over cocoa in mirid areas, instead use coconuts to encourage ants that are antagonistic to mirids.
Chemical control: use synthetic pyrethroids (e.g., bifethrin) or imidacloprid, treating “hot spots” only, not the whole plantation..

Common Name

Cocoa mirids

Scientific Name

Helopeltis clavifer and Pseudodoniella species (Pseudodoniella typica, Pseudodoniella laensis, Pseudodoniella pacifica).

AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information from Moxon JE (1992) Insect pests of cocoa in Papau New Guinea, importance and control. In: Keane PJ, Putter CAJ (eds) 'Cocoa pest and disease management in the Southeast Asia and Australasia'. FAO Plant Production and Protection Paper 112, pp 129-144. Rome; and from Hori K (2000) Possible cause of disease symptoms resulting from the feeding of phytophagous heteroptera. In: Schaefer CW, Panizzi AR (eds.) 'Heteroptera of economic importance'. CRC Press, pp 11-36. Photo 3 Graeme Cocks Bowerbird. (http://www.bowerbird.org.au/observations/21199).

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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